As healthcare workers, it is important to consider how we communicate information to patients, as good communication can help patients to understand why they are ill, what they need to do, and when to come back for review. On the other hand, misunderstandings can impair or hinder the outcomes we want. 1. The underlying condition Some patients may not truly understand their medical condition. For example, they may feel that their diabetes mellitus is a result of eating too much sweet food in the past. However, if they knew that their inactivity, weight and lack of exercise are ongoing factors in their condition, they might take prior action. Others may feel that once they are on medication, they are ‘healthy with no past medical history’ as long they are told that their chronic conditions are ‘under control’. However, doctors may need to know of their medical conditions as it will affect the type of treatment they should have for a separate issue. Other patients may feel fear that they will have to take blood pressure medications their entire life, which may not be always true as some patients do get to reduce or stop their medication once their lifestyles have been optimized or when their bodies change when they get older. Some patients also expect immediate relief of symptoms, such as the dysuria from a urinary tract infection, or the loose stools of gastroenteritis. Often, advising patients that symptoms may take time to improve can help to manage expectations. 2. The limitations of tests No one test has 100% accuracy. One common misconception is that negative cancer markers means that there is definitely no cancer, as not all cancers will lead to elevated tumor marker levels. On the other hand, elevation in tumor marker levels does not mean there is always a cancer. Another test that is often misunderstood is that of the PAP smear, as it is a screening tool, which is subjected to sampling error. 3. When drugs are to be taken and their length of time Most patients nowadays understand that antibiotics need to be taken for the full course. Misconceptions regarding the duration of treatment involve when they can stop taking the drugs e.g. drugs taken for symptoms such as gout flares can be stopped when the symptoms are better, as taking drugs for unnecessarily prolonged periods of time can at times lead to complications. 4. Purpose of procedures Patients may not understand why they need to come back for tests before renewing their chronic medication, as the tests need to be reviewed in case the doses of the medication need to be changed. For procedures that are likely to require repeated treatments, such as the freezing of warts, good patient understanding is important to avoid unhappiness. All patients and doctors are different and a much wider variation in ‘misunderstandings’ can certainly be found. However, with experience and effort, one will notice these patterns more and hopefully bypass them. Source
