🌿 B・R・A・N・D: Informed Consent In Healthcare
Have you ever been at the Doctor's or the Hospital and felt like you were pressured into making a difficult decision about a procedure or medication? Here's some very simple - and empowering - tips to being able to make an informed choice.
And I'm not the kind that likes to tell you
Just what you want me to
— New Order
In any situation, be it a business or financial, making important decisions is best done with plenty of information, forethought, discussion, and time.
And yet, in the medical profession many are forced into making quick decisions (sometimes with good reason) with very little in the way of true consent.
Health & medical practitioners are so familiar with their jobs, they often forget that for the layperson this information is not second-nature. And in many cases, they too are being hard-pressed into taking (often life-saving) action. Unfortunately, many are ill-prepared in helping patients become empowered and informed at making their choices.
Here is a wonderful tool to help you navigate informed consent when dealing with any kind of health/medical practitioner:
- Benefits
- Risks
- Alternatives
- No
- Delay & Decision
When I was a practitioner, I used to ensure I presented my treatment principles in this manner, so that my clients would be empowered to make choices that were congruent with their values.
However, if you empower yourself and use this schema to gain information quickly, you can make choices that are appropriate.
It could easily apply to any situation involving Medical Practitioners, or other Allied/Complementary Medicine practitioners such as Acupuncturists, Chiropractors, Herbalists, Osteopaths, etc.
BENEFITS
What are the [potential] benefits of this option?
This is usually what practitioners will always sell you. It's important that the benefits are clearly laid out for you in a way that is easy to understand.
RISKS
What are the [possible] risks associated with this option?
Don't believe anyone when they say there are no possible risks to any kind of medical/healthcare intervention. There is always a risk! That's why people study for 4-10 years and essentially mortgage their lives to gain degrees, so that they can make such interventions safely and expertly. Again, you need to be fully aware of the risks, and the chances it may go wrong. Unfortunately, this information can often be mis-used to create unnecessary fear-mongering. But you do need to know the risks in order to make an informed choice.
ALTERNATIVES
What other options are available to me?
There are also always alternatives to the intervention. The problem is mostly that practitioners (whether mainstream medical, or natural/complementary) either aren't aware of what else is out there, or don't care to lose your business. The latter reason is an unfortunate by-product of a free-market system. Of course, you can do your own research here; but its also useful to get some unbiased, professional opinions. Some modalities are better than others in certain contexts, not so great in others. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, and different people will respond to different interventions differently.
NO
What if I say "no"?
This can be confronting for a practitioner, so keep in mind that a lesser person may take this personally. Essentially, you are asking about the consequences of making an informed choice of denial of treatment. There are places in the world where such a choice can involve legal interventions. You'd hope that wasn't the case, however in those situations sometimes you want to factor in the possible legal shit-fight you'll be entering into. Understanding consequences is vital!!
DELAY & DECISION
What if I wait?
What are the consequences of taking the time to do further research, find out some more about the situation, and make an informed decision? In some situations (especially acute, emergency, life-saving situations), there just is not the luxury of delay. But it also doesn't hurt to ask. It may be that you have the luxury of time. The other aspect of this is that the best decisions are made when we aren't under high levels of stress. Being able to - even if only briefly - step out of the space to clear your head and go through the previous points can be helpful.
Most importantly in this last point is the ability to have a conversation with others (loved ones). This is also best done in private - so ask for that time and space to make a decision. I used to tell patients to say:
"Thank you for this information, I will now discuss this in private and let you know what I have decided in a few minutes."
You have every right to ask these questions of any medical/healthcare practitioner, and it is incumbent on all practitioners to provide you with the answers to these questions.
At least in Australia, answering these questions is enshrined in the laws that also protect consumers, such as the laws involving Registration of medical/health professions.
Having all of this information, and having the gumption to ask these questions is what empowers you to make choices that will best serve you (or your loved one).
Take care, y'all
😊🙏🏽☯️
Freedom of choice
Is what you got
Freedom from choice
Is what you want
— Devo
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Yes, this! Having had much treatment in the psych side of health care, I see exactly how important it is to be responsible for our own decisions for our bodies and minds. So many doctors pressure and push, especially when it comes to medication. I was fortunate enough to have a crappy experience (that I learned a lot from) with a practitioner, and I used some of these tips that you mention. It led me to finding a practitioner who was far more respectful in how I wanted to treat my bodymind, which ended up being a much more fulfilling relationship and treatment process. We made informed decisions together, with his knowledge of psych and my knowledge of my own self and what things work for me and the things that dont. Not all practitioners are down with this approach, so it takes a bit of searching a little manifesting and a little being fed up with pushy behavior perhaps 😂
Thanks for sharing this, I have people to share it with and will resteem. Great points and way to give people a guide to being proactive advocates for their own health and well being. 👍 👍
Thanks for your comment @thetreeoflife.
Practitioners of any persuasion are at their core deeply committed to helping others – they wouldn’t be in the profession otherwise. But they can get carried away in the hustle-n-bustle of caring for so many people day in, day out. There is quite a lot of burn-out across the professions.
Taking responsibility for own health also helps them too... it’s a huge load to bear.
I love your story as it highlights how much better your ‘healthcare experience’ is when you empower yourself!
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Thank you for this very helpful info. Yes, its upsetting when sometimes they leave you feeling pressured or without much options. It is also important to create a sense of connection between patients and doctors.
Yes! @sherylneil that connection between practitioner and patient is vital to the healing that occurs.
There is a quantum entanglement that appears, and it speeds up treatment and recovery. Some interesting results from Harvard Medical School’s research into placebos reveals this... maybe I should write something about it.
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Go for it:)
We'll be waiting for that.
This is very informative @metametheus, especially when a lot of people around me are doing and/or suffering from bariatric procedures - that one seems to be tough and risky!
Yes @mrprofessor some treatments are tough and also necessary. For me, informed consent is about building trust and rapport, which I think is vital in the treatment/healing process.
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Thanks for putting this to attention for caretaker and careseeker as well.
As you say, we in a treatment team are always encoutering possible situations, how harsh it is so say...and people need to be aware of that.... but they also need to know the boundaries of the doctors that we cant 'just' do everything because we think you need it
you catch my drift..greetings from a scurbnurse
Thanks for your perspective @karinxxl.
I do believe that patients’ expectations of medical/healthcare practitioners can be too high.
Although I would also say that the mainstream medical profession as a whole has brought this upon themselves, by setting up themselves as gods and having all the answers, and ridiculing any alternatives.
Of course, anyone trained in the science of human physiology and health will know that’s impossible - but that is now what people expect. So unfortunately a lot of criticism gets thrown at doctors when a patient’s expectations of being ‘instantly cured’ aren’t met.
This is a trend I see developing in the alternative medicine system also, as these professions turn to using the principles of sales and marketing to promote their services.
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