Dr. Amar Udare MBBS, Seth G.S.Medical College and KEM

Hospital, ParelM.D. RadioDiagnosis Junior Resident ,Tata

Memorial Hospital, Parel

Seth G.S.Medical College and KEM Hospital

Tata Memorial Centre

My Experiences with Patients and Information

Therapy at these Premiere Institutes of Tertiary Care

in India

Sick minds must be healed as well as sick bodies.  ~C. Jeff Miller

Never forget that it is not a pneumonia, but a pneumonic man who is your

patient.  ~William Withey Gull

The Disease itself especially the depression associated with terminal conditions like cancer.

Accommodation Lack of education The confusing hospital premises Economic constraints. The relatives of the patients too,face similar

problems.

Too Many patients– A poor Doctor:patient ratio.

Inefficiency of the auxiliary staff Supply of medical equipment and services is

not adequate meet to the huge demand. Academics and the desire to learn.

It is the therapeutic provision of information topeople for the amelioration of physical and

mental health and well-being.

In Simple terms it is providing patients with health information, enabling them to make informed decisions about their health and care, and participate in their own well being.

It should include :1.Disease-specific information targeted toward an individual such as the causes, symptomatology, and treatments available2.Health information on a general topic such as breast cancer or heart disease3.Preventive health information targeted to the general public on topics such as smoking cessation, nutrition and vitamins, exercise and wellness issues.

Bibilotherapy Information Booklets Magazines, Radio and Television Via information technology--CD’s And

Internet Group therapy. Direct Communication.

The three categories of health consumers that are described are:

Passive patientsConcerned patients Health-active, health-responsible patients.And finally the over concerned and over educated patient.

The well educated –Too much information.The deprived section – Too little information.

The only equipment lack in the modern hospital- Somebody to meet you at the

entrance with a handshake! 

In the sick room, ten cents' worth of human understanding equals ten dollars' worth of

medical science.  ~Martin H. Fischer

Health care needs to be made more and more Patient Centric.

The patient should have the ability to make his decisions and they should be backed by appropriate information regarding the same.

Development of a good Doctor Patient Relationship.

Building a Brand.

Avoiding conflicts arising due to complications and mishaps.

-Direct Communication-Special attention to the underprivileged “Passive patient”.-Personally tailored information.-Special areas to be looked into:

-Prevention -Enabling patient self care

-Role of the internet- Not to replace but reinforce the flow of information between patient and physician to fully engage the patient in the healing process.

Communicating -Right information: Personally tailored. -Right patient: who needs it the most. -At the Right time: Before its too late -In the Right way :In a language and medium that the patient understands the best -And Right away!

Donna J. Toward a definition of information therapy. Proc Annu Symp Comput Appl Med Care. 1994: 71–75.Butcher L. Information Therapy: 'Take Two Pills and One Hour on the Internet‘,Oncology Times:25 May 2007 - Volume 29 - Issue 10 - p 39Hesse BW, Nelson DE, Kreps GL, Croyle RT, Arora NK, Rimer BK, Viswanath K:Trust and sources of health information: the impact of the Internet and its implications for health care providers: findings from the first Health Information National Trends Survey.Arch Intern Med. 2005 Dec 12-26;165(22):2618-24.