A new national campaign has been launched to support patients and healthcare professionals to have positive conversations about care and treatment.
The campaign is running across digital, radio and pharmacy platforms and has been devised with input from NHS clinicians.
Research shows only one in three patients prepare questions to ask at their appointment and, as a result, may leave a consultation unclear on the importance and impact of taking a prescribed medication, or without a clear understanding of the options they have for managing their own healthcare.
The questions people are being encouraged to ask are:
- What are the benefits of my treatment?
- What are the risks of my treatment?
- Any alternative treatments I can try?
- What if I do nothing?
The campaign is part of the wider Realistic Medicine initiative which promotes a shared decision-making process and a personalised approach to patients’ care.
For further information about the campaign and resources visit NHS Inform.
In NHS Forth Valley, we are currently developing a number of local resources to support conversations between patients and healthcare professionals promoting shared decision making. If you would like more information about shared decision making and realistic medicine or would like to join the Forth Valley Realistic Medicine Network, please contact:
- Dr Catherine Labinjoh, Consultant Cardiologist, NHS Forth Valley’s Lead for Realistic Medicine, catherine.labinjoh@nhs.scot
- Sebastien Dall’Ozzo, NHS Forth Valley Project Manager for Realistic Medicine, sebastien.dallozzo@nhs.scot
