Half of patients are 'too scared' to challenge medical advice given by doctors, even when they think it's wrong
Poll of more than 2,000 Britons suggests millions lack the confidence to tackle their GP or hospital consultant
50% are too frightened to question a doctor’s opinion - more than patients in 12 other countries
Patients Association has helped create a leaflet explaining how patients can challenge their doctor
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 00:05 GMT, 27 November 2012 | UPDATED: 00:05 GMT, 27 November 2012
Half of patients are 'too scared' to challenge medical advice given by doctors, even when they think it's wrong
Millions of patients are too scared to challenge medical advice given by hospital doctors and family GPs.
New figures out today show nearly one in two are frightened to question a doctor’s opinion, more than patients in 12 other countries.
A poll of more than 2,000 Britons suggest millions lack the confidence to tackle their GP or hospital consultant even when they believe the advice given is wrong.
Now a leading patient’s charity has helped create a leaflet explaining how patients can challenge their doctor and demand more information.
The Patients Association has teamed up with private healthcare provider Bupa, who commissioned the poll, to ensure patients are not railroaded into treatment and do not have their health concerns ignored.
The poll comes less than a week after it emerged that a baby boy died of meningitis after doctors ignored his mothers’ pleas to take his condition more seriously.
The parents of 13 month-old Bobby Bushell, from Doncaster, were paid a five-figure sum in damages by the hospital trust involved after a nurse told parents to wheel their son around the waiting room to stifle his screams as he was 'a bit loud'.
Experts say patients are reluctant to question hospital doctors and GPs because of the authority they command, however, the number of web sites offering medical advice could be changing that.
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Dr Annabel Bentley, medical director for Bupa Health and Wellbeing said: 'The days of doctor knows best are over. We are in an era of patient knows best.
'Doctors may have had academic training but the point is only the patient knows how they feel and how a treatment effects them personally and will effect their lifestyle and any decisions need to be based on this.'
The leaflet entitled ‘Constructive Conversations’ tells patients to challenge their doctor if told they need tests or treatments.
This includes asking: ‘Why are you recommending this test for me?’ and ‘ How accurate is this test and what are the chances of it being wrong’ as well as ‘Are there any alternative treatments and what do they involve?’
The Bupa Health Pulse Survey questioned 15,000 people in 13 countries including Great Britain, Spain, Australia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
They found those living in Egypt and Saudi Arabia were the most likely to question medical advice with three out of four saying they would challenge their doctor.
The poll comes less than a week after it emerged that Bobby Bushell (pictured) died of meningitis after doctors ignored his mothers' pleas to take his condition more seriously
Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association said: 'Patients too often feel they are passive recipients of treatment and care. They want to be more involved; to ask questions or to discuss options but lack confidence and the tools to do so. This booklet goes some way in helping people get the most from the limited time they may have with healthcare professionals.'
In recent years the explosion of health websites has led more and more people to self-diagnose or become expert on conditions they already have.
But this has led to problems as many internet sites offer vague or sometimes dramatic answers for symptoms that are everday.
This has led doctors to face a barrage of ‘worried-well’ patients demanding treatments that might not be relevant to their actual condition.
The Bupa poll showed that 82 per cent of Britons look to the internet for medical advice but only half check that the website they are searching is a credible source of information.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2238803/Half-patients-scared-challenge-medical-advice-given-doctors-think-wrong.html#ixzz2DmRMwhsv
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