Clear communication key to treating complex conditions

Information that is devoid of medical jargon can enhance patient care and allow patients to assess the pros and cons of various treatments.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. Dec. 11, 2006.

Washington -- An informed patient can make managing complex conditions, including arthritis, much easier for physicians, said several presenters at the American College of Rheumatology/Assn. of Rheumatology Health Professionals' Scientific Meeting held in mid-November in Washington, D.C.

But the best steps to take are not always obvious, and two separate sessions at the meeting focused attention on factors for both physicians and patients to consider.

For instance, helping patients harness the power of the Internet can offer great potential for answering their questions and helping them adhere to treatment plans. In another presentation, researchers emphasized that, for physicians, making written materials more understandable is also an important building block.

The vast numbers of arthritis patients as well as those with other chronic diseases make it essential that patients are partners to physicians and help maximize limited office-visit time.

But first, some ground rules need to be established, said Liana Fraenkel, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn.

Patients must appreciate the uncertainties in medicine to "buy in" to the importance of their participation in choosing treatment options, and they must understand that there are trade-offs to each option, she said. This circumstance requires sensitivity from the doctor.

"We, as physicians, must make patients understand that their values are important to us," she noted.