Dr Dhruv J. Parmar, MBBS, DPM (Psych), FPSM, serves as a Consultant Psychiatrist and Sexologist at Mananjay Neuropsychiatric Care Centre in Valsad, Gujarat, specializing in De-addiction and Insomnia. With over five years of experience, focuses on addressing psychosexual issues, addictive disorders, and insomnia. He has been part of research at various national and international conferences and is a contributor to esteemed journals worldwide. He observes that there’s a ripple effect of health rumours on treatments.
When a patient explains to you about their health problems, what are the most common mistakes they make in their communication?
They aren’t able to articulate how they feel properly, there is a lot of stigmas associated and the fear of being labelled. They tend to over include details that aren’t necessary or at times don’t open up enough to discuss in detail. Sometimes they hide information based on the fear of being judged. At times they tend to even minimise the issues they face.
What does health literacy mean to you, and why is it important in patient care?
Literacy in any field is important as it removes stigma and misconceptions. If a patient is aware about their illness it helps with better treatment outcomes. Health literacy to me is educating the patients about their illnesses and telling them what they can do to prevent and improve their symptoms. It empowers the patients so that they can better understand treatment and self-care.
If a patient is knowledgeable about the basics of their health condition, how helpful is it for the overall treatment procedure?
It’s helpful if they do have some knowledge about the basics of their health condition as it makes them better compliant to treatment. Giving them a basic understanding about their ailments helps allaying fear and anxiety regarding their health concerns.
How much can medical misinformation impact treatment procedures?
Misinformation makes it very difficult for better treatment outcomes because that reduces your faith in the treatment protocol, believing in myths and misconceptions can also worsen treatment outcomes. If they don’t understand the nature of their illness, it’s difficult to ensure compliance to treatment. Often misinformation can lead to a person not visiting the doctor at the right time leading to further worsening of symptoms, especially in psychiatry, because they fear being judged.
What are the most common myths or misinformation you see your patients falling prey to?
In my field specifically patients believe in a lot of myths and misconceptions. For e.g., that psychiatric medicines are addictive, they need to be taken lifelong. If you visit a psychiatrist, you will be labelled or judged. That psychiatrists only prescribe sleep medicine. That only people with psychotic symptoms need to visit a psychiatrist.
What is your most common advice to patients to stay away from health misinformation online?
The primary advice I often give to my patients is to avoid blindly trusting online information. Consulting a doctor allows for a deeper understanding and clarification. Partial knowledge can lead to risks. Doctors undergo extensive training to comprehend illnesses, which surpasses the information gleaned online without understanding. While it’s acceptable to search online, it’s essential not to unquestionably believe health rumours and approach it with caution.
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