Doctors must expect critical patients

Doctors have to reckon with critical patients in their practices

06/07/2013

In German practices, doctors must expect more critical patients. Both the internet and other media reports provide information on symptoms, diseases and treatment options. However, this often leads to uncertainty among patients, said Maren Puttfarcken, head of the Hamburg representation of the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), told the news agency „dpa“. Thus, the lines of the TK hotline were hot after the announcement of the breast cancer operation of the US actress Angelina Jolie.

Critical patients often check the Internet
Many patients first of all find out about their complaints and possible therapeutic procedures before going to the doctor's office. This shows that patients want to have a say in their treatment, Puttfarcken reported.

After it had become known in May that the actress Angelina Jolie amputated the breasts and artificially rebuilt for fear of hereditary breast cancer, many German women were also unsure. The TK telephone hotline was ringing incessantly. Overall, patients would become more and more critical of doctors. „The topic of medicine and health is playing an increasingly important role in our society, "said the expert. „We want the patients to be of age - but the doctor has to play along as well. "The fee question plays an important role here, since up to now equipment medicine would be better paid than discussions between doctor and patient. „But the pressure is increasing and the demands of the patients are increasing. "It would be an advantage if the doctor and the patient would consult together about a therapy, „but it also minimizes problems in the treatment“, so putting. From autumn 2013, the doctor's bill will change. Then physicians also receive a fee from the health insurance for discussions with the patient.

Critical patients want to be involved in decision-making
According to a study by the TK Scientific Institute on the doctor-patient relationship from 2010, two-thirds of insured persons expect their doctor to involve them in the decision-making process. „Only six percent of respondents said it was up to the clinician to decide on their own. "But Puttfarcken pointed out that patients needed to have enough information to take their decisions. „More and more information is coming to the market, which nobody knows how resilient they are - many feel more confused than informed. "Internet research would often lead to patients with a lot of different information going to the doctor. „That leads to great uncertainty. "

For example, the second opinion has shown that there is a huge interest in reliable information. Since the TK set up the hotline in 2011, about 5,000 calls per year would be received. Among other things, patients could seek advice from a specialist if they have a serious illness or have surgery. Thus, a TK evaluation of the second opinion of specialists before spine surgery showed that in almost 80 percent of the 761 participants in the opinion of the doctors no intervention is necessary.

Unnecessary surgery and rip-offs confuse patients
Increasingly, media reports rip-offs on additional, private-medical services and unnecessary operations. No wonder many patients find doctors very skeptical.

Just last year, a study commissioned by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance (GKV) showed that many surgeries are not carried out for medical reasons, but rather for economic reasons. Thus, the number of treatments between 2006 and 2010 has increased by 13 percent. Only 40 percent of it is due to the aging of the population. Especially expensive orthopedic and cardiological interventions have increased, according to the association. That such reports lead to uncertainty among patients, is understandable. If in doubt, patients should seek a second opinion, advises the GKV. (Ag)