Dr Souvik Samaddar holds an MBBS, MS and DNB in Ophthalmology, along with a fellowship in Clinical Ophthalmology (FICO). With a diverse medical background including a year of housestaffship in the Department of Medicine from 2017 to 2018, now, he serves as a Senior Resident in Ophthalmology at Howrah District Hospital. He illuminates the issue of medical misinformation.
When a patient explains to you about their health problems, what are the most common mistakes they make in their communication?
Patients usually fail to communicate their exact discomfort, instead, they try to use inaccurate technical terms which they have heard from peers etc. Sometimes people are grossly unaware of a major issue, while focusing on trivial discomforts. Some of the patients in my area of work are ignorant of their age and co morbidities and current treatments.
What does health literacy mean to you, and why is it important in patient care?
In my view, health literacy would encompass an awareness regarding one’s own health issues and treatments. It is important because the lesser a patient is aware of their ailments, the lesser they are to be compliant.
If a patient is knowledgeable about the basics of their health condition, how helpful is it for the overall treatment procedure?
Very helpful. When a patient possesses a good understanding of the basics of their health condition, it greatly facilitates treatment, making it more efficient and effective.
How much can medical misinformation impact treatment procedures?
It can cause an impact greatly. Medical misinformation significantly affects the treatment process, often stemming from misguided advice provided by family, friends, and neighbors. Patients often come to visit after getting wrong treatment by quacks and self-medications.
What are the most common myths or misinformation you see your patients falling prey to?
Misinformation about eye health persists in various forms. For instance, some myths I have found are:
1. Cataract surgery cannot be done in summer.
2. That eye drops can cure cataracts.
3. All eye drops are the same.
4. Diabetes/Hypertension (like any infective episode) gets cured after taking medicines for a short duration.
5. Refractive errors get cured after using spectacles for a month or less than that.
6. Glasses are prescribed for a random reason.
What is your most common advice to patients to stay away from health misinformation online?
In all honesty, I don’t encounter many of these misconceptions in my practice, as most of my patients are largely illiterate. However, for the few instances where misinformation does arise, I find that I’m generally able to provide counseling to address their misconceptions (i.e., medical misinformation) effectively.
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