Ah yes, the compliance issue. One of the reasons I didn't go into primary care. I have cancelled many an elective surgery because the patient ignored the NPO order.
What's "compliance", again?
best,
Flea
In fact, people ARE really stupid when it comes to day-to-day challenges. Why do we have warnings against using an electric hairdryer while still in the tub? Or for that matter against cigarette smoking?
(Cigars are OK, as all us REAL men know!)
All said in a fatherly, I-told-you-so kind of way, but compliance is part of a larger problem that we all have to some degree.
I think of this when I see doctors who smoke, who are overweight, do not exercise, do not even have a physician let alone follow recommendations
To some extent we're all noncompliant, and it no doubt relates to our genetic makeup and upbringing, our failure to accept and irritation with our own mortality.
Which doesn't necessarily mean we should give up and stop giving advice, but I do think that going into anger mode tends not to generally be productive, even if it seems or feels good at the time.
Compliance is a big problem. I'm a very compliant patient and I still end up with complications. Sometimes you just can't win.
An Army of Dunces - LOL!
Did you send this to Glenn?
Paternalistic? I suppose so. The difficulty for me is that I see lack of compliance as, at least in part, a failure on my part. It means that somehow, some way, I was unable to communicate the importance of following certain directions to a small percentage of my patients.
No physician, or nurse, is a perfect communicator. For that matter, no patient is a perfect listener/reader/interpreter of communication. If I come off as a bit paternalistic, perhaps that's because that is the style that has worked best for me to try to prevent non-compliance --- better than coming off authoritative, imperious, demanding, aloof, etc. I just don't have enough insight into my own personality to probably change from a paternalistic pattern at this point.
And Kim, I didn't send this to Prof. Reynolds; I suspect he's seen quite a few similar ones over the past few months!
Sometimes it's ok not to comply like when they ask for your social over the phone. I try to follow my docs recomendations except that thank god I only go for routine stuff so far anyway.
Mimi
Okay, I can't speak for myself because my doctor "fired" me for noncompliance. I've mended my stupid ways, but I can't believe how many other people blatantly disregard instructions regarding meds. A woman I work with admitted to me that she mixes narcotics and sleeping meds with alcohol on a regular basis. I shared my story with her, but she didn't "get it." She isn't the only one, either . . .
Well, I'm glad I "got it." Good post.
I love the Homer poster!
I can understand most of the home mishaps, but driving the car 95mph after being told not to go over 40?
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