Medicine, at one point, was a game of chance. No one really knew enough to ensure success, so they used what was thought to be most effective regardless of the consequences. In more recent history, medicine evolved into an evidence-based practice such that the choices made by health care professionals were solely based on trials and data that supported the use of one course of therapy over the other. Now, more than ever, the field is molding itself into a patient-centered practice. Yes, the goal is still to treat the disease state, but beyond that it is about treating the patient- the sufferer of the illness. Initiatives have been made to understand that beyond the science and statistics, there is an individual with their own lifestyle, their own beliefs, their own fears, and their own motivations.
Because of this new change, it is important that patients themselves understand that their voice holds much weight in the course of therapy chosen. It is critical to discuss this because as someone who studies medicine, I hear too many stories of patients suffering in their treatment when there are often alternatives and when patients are scared to try new things, like injecting themselves, when there are other options. As a pharmacy student, what worries me most is the hate that so many people hold for therapeutic drugs and the fact that many lawyers or third-parties will manipulate that in order to persuade people to sue healthcare professionals for utilizing legitimate, well-documented forms of therapy because of side effects that were listed and explained upon prescribing. Medicine is a risk vs. reward practice and not everything works perfectly for every person. For that reason, along with each person’s unique comforts and dislikes, patients must be vocal about how they feel during their course of treatment.
To clarify, health care professionals still have the duty to be the voice of reason and expertise. They should also be counseling patients on treatment options, their positives and the negatives, and the goals of therapy. Furthermore, health care practitioners should be interviewing patients and asking questions to determine what therapy best suits their lifestyle and preferences; sometimes compromises will have to be made. This is essential because one drug may have the best outcomes, but if it has to be taken multiple times a day, it could prove to be detrimental to a patient’s daily activities and may lead to states of depression or demotivation to adhere to the course of treatment that was agreed upon. Sometimes another drug that has less than optimal statistical outcomes but fuses well with a patient’s lifestyle will have better real-world outcomes.
Thus, I encourage patients to always ask questions before, during and after therapy. Modifications can be made and problems can be avoided, but there has to be effort being made on both sides of the equation to ensure success. Of course there can be a mistake on the professional side of the equation and unexpected effects of drug therapy, but the patient is the biggest decision maker and the one who decides whether something works for him/her. Understand that therapy is never easy, but what those treating you want most is your input. That is the key to obtaining successful outcomes.
