Last Updated on March 27, 2024 by Partha Protim Choudhury
Dr Chaitanya Aggarwal is a distinguished dental professional, holding a BDS degree with honors from GDC Amritsar, where he earned the prestigious gold medal. Presently, he is dedicated to advancing his expertise in oral and maxillofacial surgery through postgraduate studies at CMC Ludhiana. Dr Aggarwal serves as a PG resident at CMC Ludhiana, actively contributing to the field of dentistry and surgical innovation.
When a patient explains to you about their health problems, what are the most common mistakes they make in their communication?
I have noticed that the patients try to miss out their existing medical conditions (if they are under control) like diabetes when they give information. As they might think that their medical history is not a contributing factor towards their present complaint. Moreover, they are influenced by the internet and try to reach at a diagnosis themselves, instead of providing complete details about their condition.
What does health literacy mean to you, and why is it important in patient care?
In my opinion, health literacy is very important as it empowers an individual to take right decisions regarding his/her/their health. Apart from this, for a health care professional it becomes much easier to deliver quality treatment to patient who is health literate and informed. Together, the healthcare professional and the patient can improve the treatment outcomes.
If a patient is knowledgeable about the basics of their health condition, how helpful is it for the overall treatment procedure?
If a patient is aware regarding their health issues, then the compliance of patient is much better with the treatment protocol. This ultimately improves the ultimate treatment outcome.
How much can medical misinformation impact treatment procedures?
It may hamper the treatment as the patient may become very apprehensive if the medical advice is against what the patient already knows from his/her/their sources. This can lead to stress and at times patient refraining from the actual and correct treatment.
What are the most common myths or misinformation you see your patients falling prey to?
One of the most common myths I have heard is that injecting local anaesthesia before tooth extraction can make you blind.
What is your most common advice to patients to stay away from health misinformation online?
I always advise my patients to refer a healthcare provider for better information regarding their health and not to trust on the diagnosis and the treatment options provided on the internet.
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