26.10.2017 · 👁 2,242
Why you don't do what the doctor says and how to deal with it
We explain why compliance is needed.
Compliance is adherence to treatment: mandatory attendance at scheduled appointments, following the doctor’s recommendations for taking medications and lifestyle. Recently, a lot of research has been carried out that show: patients are often not inclined to follow the doctor’s instructions, and this worsens the course of the disease. Why aren't you cooperating with your doctor? Let's figure it out.
You can heal yourself
More and more people who care about their health are using digital technologies to control the treatment process. At the same time, the number of patients who diagnose themselves based on information from the Internet is increasing. The ability to Google symptoms creates the illusion that you have the competence of a doctor, and numerous news stories about medical errors and the sad results of optimizing healthcare feed it.
According to one of the latest VTsIOM surveys, a third of Russians self-medicate, 4% do not receive treatment at all, slightly less than half (46%) go to public clinics, and only 11% go to private clinics. An earlier survey showed that 16% of Russians consider TV shows about health to be the best doctors. Interestingly, as many as 80% of Russians are ready to remotely seek a second opinion from specialists they are unfamiliar with, as evidenced by data from a study by the Higher School of Economics on the attitude of Russians to telemedicine. Probably, queues, the need to undress in the doctor’s office and not the most pleasant situations that can easily be encountered in a public clinic scare off a potential patient. But this is not a reason to prefer a search engine to a specialist.
You lack the attention of a doctor
Almost half of patients are dissatisfied with visiting a doctor, mainly due to the specialist’s workload and the inability to devote the expected amount of time to the patient. The appointment timeframe is strict: taking into account paperwork (which is 35% of the time), 15 minutes are allotted for visiting the local pediatrician and therapist, 22 minutes for a neurologist, and 22 minutes for a gynecologist.
As for the expectations of patients: they are perfectly characterized by a humorous list compiled by bloggers several years ago. In their opinion, the ideal doctor, among other things, “willingly gives out his mobile and home phone numbers to those who wish with the words: “Call at any time!””, has fluoroscopic vision “and therefore does not need additional examination methods,” and also “has an unlimited supply of time during any visit to listen to memories of youth and accumulated political considerations.” Reality, alas, offers completely different conditions and formats of communication.
Treatment seems too long for you
The biggest problem with following recommendations occurs in people with chronic illnesses. For example, with arterial hypertension, many patients voluntarily stop taking medications regularly, forget to take them, and independently reduce doses if the pressure is normal. Meanwhile, with such diseases, regular use of medications allows you not only to feel better consistently, but also inhibits the development of the pathological process. This means it prolongs life with good quality.
How to prepare for your appointment
Despite the inconveniences that the healthcare system creates, effective collaboration with a doctor is quite possible. The first and most important thing is, of course, to trust him - unfortunately, without trust there will be no successful treatment. Therefore, if you do not trust the doctor, do not take up his time and do not waste yours - find another specialist. Here are some organizational tips to help you get the most out of your reception:
Clearly formulate the questions you want to ask, try to get answers to all the questions you came with.
During the visit, do not be distracted by conversations about your political leanings, recommendations from your relatives, and other topics not related to your illness.
Answer questions honestly, even those that sometimes seem unrelated to your problem. These may be concomitant diseases that you do not consider necessary to talk about because you did not come with them; they can change the choice of drug, its dosage, and the approach to treatment itself. But if the doctor starts asking you about political leanings or something that has nothing to do with your medical problem at all, or gives advice, for example, to use folk remedies, be wary - perhaps it’s time to run away from him.
Focus on the recommendations, write them down (more than half of the information is forgotten within an hour after the appointment), clarify at the appointment everything that is unclear to you.
In addition to medication prescriptions, lifestyle recommendations are important, even if you think that this is your life and no one has the right to give you advice.
When going to your appointment, wear clean underwear.