When Sylvia MacDonald discovered her 16-month-old son needed an inhaler, her doctor left her with a lot of unanswered questions.
"I didn't know anything about his inhalers or how I was supposed to give them to him,'' she said.
She asked her doctor about what to do but says she was rushed out the door.
"He didn't even tell me that I was going to need an aero chamber for my little one to give him the puffer.''
So she turned instead to her pharmacist for information about how to administer treatment to her little boy.
"The pharmacist explained everything to me,'' MacDonald said.
A report issued by the P.E.I. Literacy Alliance says a lot of Islanders are in the same boat and aren't getting enough information in plain language from their doctors. As a result, many are forced to turn to pharmacists or even the Internet to get the information they need about their health problems.
The report looked at the needs of adult learners with lower literacy skills. More than half of the 24 people who took part in four focus groups held in locations across the Island said they turned first to doctors for health information. But most of them said they left the doctor's office confused and with questions unanswered.
"My doctor gave me very little information, just enough to scare me," is a quote from one of the focus group participants and one the report uses as its key statement.
Jinny Greaves is part of the Literacy Alliance's advisory committee struck to look at the issue of health literacy on P.E.I.
Greaves facilitated the focus groups and said those who took part felt rushed by their doctors.
"Doctors have really limited time so people didn't have time to ask questions, they didn't have time to have things re-explained to them."
Greaves said medical jargon is also a big problem for those with lower literacy skill levels.
"Many just didn't understand what the doctor said. And they were left without any printed information of any sort - no direction as to where to get more information," she said. "There were more bad experiences than good, and this was pretty even across the Island."
One woman's story particularly stood out for Greaves. The woman had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was given a huge pile of information to read and make a decision about her treatment.
"She said she only understood about half of what she read and felt confused, felt scared and felt like she didn't have the support she needed," Greaves said.
The goal of the report is to improve how health information is communicated to all Islanders so that it's always communicated in a way that's easy to understand, using plain language, Greaves said.
She said getting doctors to start using plain language is an easy first step because it doesn't cost any money.
MacDonald agreed, saying she feels doctors are too worried about getting patients out the door quickly and not concerned enough about whether the patient understands their health problems adequately.
"Half the time I leave there, I don't get any of my questions answered, he just wants to get in and out," she said. "If I need to know what I can do - rather than go to my doctor about my son's excema - I go to the pharmacy."
The report has a number of recommendations, including having health information available at Access P.E.I. and creating a 1-800 number where people can call and talk to a nurse.
The advisory committee is meeting again at the end of the month to begin the next stage of the project.
Health being put at risk
Report finds rushed doctors leaving patients confused
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Comments
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- healthcare
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:39:13
As to the last comment , you just cannot walk into the asthma education center , first it is not a 7-11 store , it is open buisness hours and second you need to be refered by a Doctor first, then you see a pediatrician then you get to go to the asthna education center , been there done that the process takes about 3 months and that is only after you have had many trips tro opd with asthma staticus .
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- sandra
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:35:32
here's just another story....went for a follow up visit to the doctor( i have to travel about 35 minutes) just to see him,anyway...he not only got my files mixed up yet again,he never got any faxes that were Supposed to have been sent...but he ended my very short visit(less than 10 min.) with oh ya by the way...your brain is shrinking !!! this is a medical problem and very unusual for someone my age,more for seniors......long story short now i have to follow up with yet another visit to find out my future!!!! go figure
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- health care
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:29:01
I also work in health care yes doctors are very busy as there are not enough of them .pharmacists are very helpful . as well and a wealth of informatrion. A nurse or an LPN could also have explained how to use these medications and to ease this moms anxiety momentarily. I myself have been disheartened when there was not enough time for someone performing on the job which due to the shortage has become task orientated instead of patient centered . what you learn in the class room about meeting peoples physical and emotional needs as an individual is not a reality when you enter the workforce.
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- Islander
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:27:43
Our government needs to revamp our doctor system. Idiotic doctors are turning this into a rushing scam instead of actually helping their patients, and Islanders lives are being put at risk.
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- A
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:23:24
I am a pharmacist and find this to be a big problem as well. Patients are constantly coming to us looking for answers. It's fine because we're here to answer their questions and give them advice about their medications. However, it's shocking how many people come to us with prescriptions and their doctors have not taken the time to explain what the medication is treating. Also, we have a lot of times when people come with increased doses of their previous meds and doctors have not even bothered to tell them they were changing the dose.
The blame certainly cannot be placed completely on the doctors, and we can't generalize. A lot of them provide wonderful care to their patients. Hopefully the health care system will evolve in such a way that all health care workers can work more closely together to provide seamless care for their patients. -
- Just
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:56:40
Give us a break;
I don't claim to be 'educated' but for the benefit of others, might you even attempt to consult a dictionary? Also sentences typically begin with a capitol letter and end with a period - try it once in awhile. -
- Leslie
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:47:14
Why can't it be that the doctor write down the diagnosis instead of a prescription and let the pharmacist determine what drug will work. Isn't that what the pharmacist goes to school for? I have been prescribed the wrong medication and the pharmacy knew it but what can they do? They have to give it to me, knowing full well the doctor made a mistake. And another benefit is, if you deal consistenly with the same pharmacy, they have a record right there off any medications you have had in the past and can see what has and maybe has not worked on previous occasions.
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- Just
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:44:15
Perhaps I should listen to my own advice. Capitol was spelled incorrectly. It is 'capital'.
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- give us a break
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:41:39
here we go again the goverment saying we are so stupid we dont no how to take our drugs there is lots of info out there if you look and ask really people we are not as dumb as the educated people think we are we have lots of wisdom and common sence in fact i no lots of so called educated people who are off the wall in common sence
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- unknown
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:38:16
There are places to go for information. There is a place called the Asthma Education Centre located at the QEH for these exact type of patients. It provides all the info and will answer all the questions you need for people struggling with asthma and how to use their medications. If only everyone knew about these resources....
