Sunday, 30 October 2011

Ignorance: A barrier to Treatment



Ignorance: A barrier to treatment

                                                 By : Prof. Dr. S.P.S. Grewal

We generally believe that a QUICK recovery from disease needs an accurate diagnosis and good management from the doctor. How ever a good doctor is only half the story and patient factors are equally important. And the one parameter that patient are usually not aware of is, Ignorance. Ignorance of disease, that patients of treatment options, Ignorance of risks and even Ignorance of precautions and restrictions.

Often eye drop are prescribed but they are not explained how to instill them. Eye drops have the desired effect only if they are instilled properly. There are several examples in which ignorance deters patients from accepting the best treatment.

‘Progressive or bifocal glasses do not suit me’ is a common refrain of presbyopic patients, a few days after they get a new pair of glasses. Patients are not aware or have not been informed of the training process they have to go through in older to be able to use the new glasses.

I recently had a chance to treat a patient with uncontrolled diabetic eye disease. The angiography test and laser was performed on him. I counseled him on the significance of controlling the blood sugar and was controlled. While thanking me he commented that it was so easy since he knew what to do. It was lack of knowledge about role of diet, drug and exercise that prevented him from controlling diabetes initially.

Similarly if you are aware of the side-effects of a drug, you can identify serious side effects at the earliest and report to the doctor. Often of appearance of some of the know side effects the tablets or drop drops are discontinued without informing the doctor. as the patient is bot aware of the side effects.

Spring catarrh or seasonal allergy of the eye is common in kids. Many parents will report back saying that the redness appears if the medicine is stopped. Probably they were not educated in detail about the time frame for which the medicine was to be used and the deleterious effects of repeated interruptions in treatment.

Glaucoma (kala motia) is another disease where patient education goes a long way in preserving vision. Many patients are not aware that the treatment and monitoring of glaucoma is to be continued for their entire life, and that vision can only be preserved and not restored.

Ignorance of the disease and treatment process also results in one searching for alternatives that do not exist. Education is also critical for setting realistic expectations from the treatment. I feel the level of compliance among the citizens of Chandigarh very high. It needs to be reinforced, by the treating physician or surgeon, with more emphasis on patient education. ***


Prof. Dr. S.P.S. Grewal
Grewal Eye Institute
SCO 166, Sector 9-C, Madhya Marg
CHANDIGARH - 160 014 (India)
Ph : +91-17-2747118, 5056901, 5056969
Fax : +91-172-274843
Mail : drgrewal@gmail.com
Website : http://www.gei.co.in/


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