Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

It’s important for doctors to also be teachers

Roheen Raithatha, MD
Physician
September 19, 2016
384 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

As physicians, we often don’t have time to down a cup of coffee, much less spend extra time on patient education, but we might want to rethink this. I’ve been involved in a study that illustrates a strong connection between educating patients about medical technologies and their decision to go forward with necessary treatments.

This study assessed sinus surgery candidates’ opinions on endoscopic sinus surgery before and after the patients went through an educational consultation. Forty-four otolaryngologists from across the U.S. participated.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, we found that education about how the procedure was to be performed by their physician played an important role in patients’ decisions to undergo recommended surgical treatment.

Advances in techniques and technology have considerably improved the patient experience for many surgical procedures; but unfortunately, patients don’t always know about these medical advances, and physicians sometimes underestimate the value of explaining them. Sure, many patients will do research on their own, but our findings illustrate that it’s in everyone’s best interest for physicians to take the time to listen to and educate patients whenever possible.

In this case, we focused on advances used in sinus surgery, such as a newer dissolvable steroid-releasing sinus stent that maintains the open passages created in surgery and improves surgical outcomes. This is important because historically, sinus surgery has had a bad reputation due to lengthy and painful recoveries, causing many patients to postpone or decline surgical treatment even if it’s in their best interest.

Patients increasingly want to be active participants in their care and make informed health-related decisions. However, there is a lot of misinformation out there, and patients don’t always know where to look or what sources to trust.

Studies show that health care providers are the most trusted information source for patients. Effective education from providers and increased patient involvement in health care decisions have been associated with better health outcomes, reduced anxiety, fewer problems after surgery, and improved satisfaction with care.

As the philosopher William Penn put it, “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” As physicians, let’s make sure we use our precious time to the greatest advantage for both our patients and our practices.

Roheen Raithatha is an otolaryngologist and can be reached at ENT & Allergy Associates, LLP, New York City, NY.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Does psychiatry worsen mental illness stigma?

September 19, 2016 Kevin 3
…
Next

A Justin Bieber opioid ballad

September 19, 2016 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Surgery

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Does psychiatry worsen mental illness stigma?
Next Post >
A Justin Bieber opioid ballad

Related Posts

  • Why teachers aren’t going back to school: a physician’s take

    Bernard Leo Remakus, MD
  • Why do doctors who hate being doctors still practice?

    Kristin Puhl, MD
  • Doctors: It’s time to unionize

    Thomas D. Guastavino, MD
  • Doctors die. But the good ones leave a legacy.

    Jaime B. Gerber, MD
  • No one cares about the doctors

    Peggy A. Rothbaum, PhD
  • When doctors are right

    Sophia Zilber

More in Physician

  • 10 things to know about your doctor that will get you better care

    Dawn Sears, MD & Kim Downey, PT
  • Physician burnout reimagined

    Claudia Finkelstein, MD
  • Government surveillance: How electronic prescription records are changing medicine

    L. Joseph Parker, MD
  • Intensive caring: Reminding patients they matter

    Harvey Max Chochinov, MD, PhD
  • Empowering health care workers amid consolidation

    Anonymous
  • Bad grammar makes me mad. I can’t help it.

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Pain medicine realities: beyond the opioid crisis

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD and Stephen E. Nadeau, MD | Conditions
    • There’s no place for “benevolent deception” in obstetrics

      Megan Nix | Conditions
    • Drug prices and fast approvals can harm patients

      Martha Rosenberg | Meds
    • Protecting your health from environmental threats [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • In the crosshairs: The False Claims Act’s new targets in health care

      Scott Ellner, DO, MPH | Policy
    • Navigating the evidence-practice gap in concussion care

      Sohaib Kureshi, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medicare coverage saves lives. Enrolling shouldn’t be this complicated.

      Catherine L. Chen, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Gaza’s medical crisis

      Tammy Abughnaim, MD and Emily Hacker, MPH | Physician
    • Antisemitism is at a historic high not just in other countries, but right here in America

      Joshua D. Lenchus, DO | Physician
    • Emergency department burnout: a cry for change

      Anonymous | Conditions
    • Medicine has become the new McDonald’s of health care

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Policy
    • Rising nurse practitioner burnout: charting and work-life balance

      Erica Dorn, FNP | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Protecting your health from environmental threats [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Efficient staffing partners for health systems

      Patrick Dotts | Policy
    • 10 things to know about your doctor that will get you better care

      Dawn Sears, MD & Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Can generative artificial intelligence help clinicians better manage patient messages?

      Spencer D. Dorn, MD, MPH and Justin Norden, MD, MBA | Tech
    • New primary care decision support tools make offloading below-license tasks from the EHR more important than ever

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Tech
    • Physician burnout reimagined

      Claudia Finkelstein, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 2 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Coronary Heart Disease by Age 45 Linked With Later Dementia
  • Progression Independent of Relapse Activity in Pediatric-Onset MS
  • Experts' Hopes for the Future of dMMR Uterine Cancer Treatment
  • Increased Mortality Risk for Young Adults on High Doses of Antipsychotics
  • U.S. Suicides Hit Record High; FDA Reviews Schizophrenia Drug; Psychology of Misinfo

Meeting Coverage

  • Experts' Hopes for the Future of dMMR Uterine Cancer Treatment
  • With an Old X-Ray, AI Can Detect High Risk of Lung Cancer in Never Smokers
  • New Data on Bimekizumab in Psoriatic Arthritis
  • Investigational Gene Tx Improves Diabetic Retinopathy Severity at 1 Year
  • Stronger Quads May Lower Risk for Knee Replacement Surgery
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Pain medicine realities: beyond the opioid crisis

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD and Stephen E. Nadeau, MD | Conditions
    • There’s no place for “benevolent deception” in obstetrics

      Megan Nix | Conditions
    • Drug prices and fast approvals can harm patients

      Martha Rosenberg | Meds
    • Protecting your health from environmental threats [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • In the crosshairs: The False Claims Act’s new targets in health care

      Scott Ellner, DO, MPH | Policy
    • Navigating the evidence-practice gap in concussion care

      Sohaib Kureshi, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medicare coverage saves lives. Enrolling shouldn’t be this complicated.

      Catherine L. Chen, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Gaza’s medical crisis

      Tammy Abughnaim, MD and Emily Hacker, MPH | Physician
    • Antisemitism is at a historic high not just in other countries, but right here in America

      Joshua D. Lenchus, DO | Physician
    • Emergency department burnout: a cry for change

      Anonymous | Conditions
    • Medicine has become the new McDonald’s of health care

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Policy
    • Rising nurse practitioner burnout: charting and work-life balance

      Erica Dorn, FNP | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Protecting your health from environmental threats [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Efficient staffing partners for health systems

      Patrick Dotts | Policy
    • 10 things to know about your doctor that will get you better care

      Dawn Sears, MD & Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Can generative artificial intelligence help clinicians better manage patient messages?

      Spencer D. Dorn, MD, MPH and Justin Norden, MD, MBA | Tech
    • New primary care decision support tools make offloading below-license tasks from the EHR more important than ever

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Tech
    • Physician burnout reimagined

      Claudia Finkelstein, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

It’s important for doctors to also be teachers
2 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...