Dr Hitesh Dawar holds an MBBS, DNB in Orthopaedics, MNAMS, FACS, and FAGE, along with a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Complex Joint Reconstruction, Orthopaedic Oncosurgery, and Spine Tumors. He is currently a Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Group Head of Orthopaedic Operations in Apollo Hospitals. Having 16 years of experience, he observes that misinformation with regards to healthcare eventually leads to higher healthcare costs.
When a patient explains to you about their health problems, what are the most common mistakes they make in their communication?
I feel the most common mistake a patient might make in their communication is that they stress and prioritize on their own interpretation of symptoms, which is sometimes even more motivated by their own search on internet.
What does health literacy mean to you, and why is it important in patient care?
For me, health literacy will mean 3 things – (1) Prevention of disease – diet, exercise, healthy lifestyle and correct posture, (2) Healthcare insurance for all, (3) Health screening and monitoring for various conditions.
If a patient is knowledgeable about the basics of their health condition, how helpful is it for the overall treatment procedure?
Very helpful. It helps them in understanding the procedure and recovery process, and taking correct informed decisions regards to the treating doctor and healthcare facility. It will impact all areas related to the overall treatment procedure including the recovery and rehabilitation.
How much can medical misinformation impact treatment procedures?
Very much. It makes the process lengthy, inhibits in fostering of trust between patient and healthcare provider, sometimes leads patient to unsuitable avenues to seek treatment. Misinformation may lead to higher healthcare costs, loss of work, family and social life and high dissatisfaction rates too. In some cases, it might be dangerous leading to permanent disability and even death.
What are the most common myths or misinformation you see your patients falling prey to?
There are many common myths patient fall prey to – the most common being that Biopsy leads to increase of the disease. Many patients simply avoid undergoing biopsy for the fear that it will increase or spread the disease or tumour or infection whereas biopsy is one of the most important diagnostic and treatment planning tool to accurately and successfully plan patient treatment.
What is your most common advice to patients to stay away from health misinformation online?
My advice is to have a faith on their healthcare provider who is formally trained on diagnosing and treating your condition with sometimes years of experience on the subject and it is impossible to match the same with a 20-minute online search.
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