Why robust patient-doctor communication is a cornerstone of better healthcare?

“Doctor, why are you changing my medicines frequently?” Shruti’s question was terse and sharp. Shruti was a busy IT professional with a young family, including her husband and a child. And that’s when she was detected with breast cancer, and unfortunately, the dreaded disease was in the fourth stage at the time of diagnosis. Moreover, she had the aggressive form of Triple-negative Breast Cancer. 

The treatment regimen of Shruti involved increasing and decreasing the quantity of medicines as per the disease’s unpredictable behaviour. The doctor said, "Shruti, in diseases like this, we have to take a trial-and-error method and try different medicines." And she retorted, "So, are you doing experiments on my body?"  It was pretty tricky to convince Shruti about the frequent changes required in her treatment, medicines and dosages. 

As Shruti is an IT professional, the doctor felt an explanation in English would help. However, even then, when doctors convey the medical science and treatments they have learned to patients, key points can be lost in communication, even when they are educated. Therefore, doctors should take extra care to ensure that patients understand what they mean. 

Times have changed, and simulation is ruling the roost. It would be better if doctors kept models of organs within their specialisation to give patients a clear picture of the health issues. They can also find appropriate images on the internet. Proper counselling, with the help of organ models and pictures, could do the patients a world of good. 

Complication versus medical negligence 
Complications and medical negligence are often misunderstood. Very often, the explanations given for the complications that arise during surgeries are construed as medical negligence. It is noteworthy that consent for surgery is obtained beforehand, as doctors know that complications can occur during an operation. 

Positive versus negative 
It’s pretty intriguing to note that positive can have a negative connotation and negative a positive interpretation in medical parlance. It would be a solace for patients if some medical tests turn out to be positive, but it can be distressing in other cases. Some people heave a sigh of relief when they find that the tests are negative, but the reality would be something grievous. An apt example is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. 

Progressive cancer 
When you hear of progressive cancer, you get a feeling that there is much progress in cancer in a positive way. As a matter of fact, it only means that the disease is spreading. The only way doctors can avoid communication confusion is to ensure patients have understood them properly by simplifying the communication process and asking patients, relatives, or caregivers to repeat what they have understood.