Communication between patients and clinicians that is patient-centered, taking into account patient concerns has important implications for patient safety.

‘A relationship of health care providers with patients with mutually negotiated goals and expectations, can be an important support and buffer for cancer patients experiencing distress.’

Simply bringing a list of medications to the doctor's office may not be sufficient for everyone, she says, because it ignores the nuances of how well the patient understands the medical team's instructions, as well as patient preferences or patient concerns. One size does not fit all. 




"Even if their doctor doesn't ask, patients should talk about all the medications including prescription, over-the-counter and natural remedies they are taking, noting how frequently they are taking them and any side effects," said Dr. Lee. "And if they are not taking prescribed drugs, they should tell their doctor why not.
"We -- clinicians and researchers -- need to hear the patient's voice: why aren't they taking the drug. Is it cost-related, side-effect-related or is something else going on? Patient-centered communication gives the patient the opportunity to convey personal priorities to the doctor, noting, for example that they would rather continue with the health issue for which a drug was prescribed rather than taking the medication because it causes dizziness."
If the patient is unable to understand or is overwhelmed, family members attending the medical appointment or assisting at hospital discharge should not hesitate to ask questions about dosage, timing, as well as potential problems says Dr. Lee, who notes that the patient-centered approach to medication safety involves the entire medical team.
The paper concludes by proposing key future directions in research and practice to increase patient-centeredness to improve medication safety.
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"To date most efforts on medication safety, have been focused on healthcare systems, specifically using electronic medical records to identify the medication burden, rather than gathering information directly from the patient. Their voice often isn't involved but it should be," said Dr. Lee. A health services researcher interested in the patient-provider relationships, her work concentrates on patient-physician electronic communication as a tool in improving chronic disease management and also on social media and health.
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Source-Eurekalert