What are your opinions about a recent discussion on Twitter called #patientgate?

[Mdaisy]

It is all about patients using smart phones to recored their consultations?

bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g2078

Your thoughts?

Emma

FibroAction Administrator

[TheAuthor]

Thanks for this one also Mdaisy

It makes you think? If you could record all doctor / patient discussions and consultations, would certain people (patient and doctor alike) behave differently? More polite, more helpful and more understanding?

As I say, both patient and doctor alike?

Take care

Ken x

[pip_r]

Hi,

I think I'd have to behave more. My GP (he is great) and I often go off subject

Seriously though, with short term memory loss it would be really useful to record a consultation when collecting results. You could even photograph the often tabled results from blood tests, etc and be able to check the figures against normal levels, etc. I can see a real use for it, however I'd probably never do it myself. I'm not sure why.

Pip

[TheAuthor in reply to pip_r]

Hi pip_r

I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you possibly can be today? Are you very naughty at your doctors? hehehehehe!

I know what you mean, I go in telling myself to ask about something, then on the way home, I realise I never asked! I do that all the time!

Take care my friend

Ken x

[pip_r in reply to TheAuthor]

I take a list in with me

We often get chatting about non-medical stuff. Knowing I love wildlife and am a keen photographer, a few months ago he said "I must show you this" and proceeded to show me a photo he'd taken of a large pod of dolphins he'd seen whilst out canoeing! Needless to say I was impressed and unimpressed at the same time... jammy thing that he is.

I'm very lucky. He's very good with my condition. Likes me to give him updates on the latest thinking of FM. Never assumes my symptoms are or are not FM and he sees me every month to check on how I'm doing. My meds are pretty sorted, so I think he wants to make sure I'm coping ok.

Right... off to bed. Night

[Lruk]

I think that anything which helps patients understand the advice and treatment prescribed by GP's has to be a good thing. I certainly cannot see why any professional person would object to a professional dialogue being recorded because, it has to protect both sides and enable greater understanding. I also find it strange that when a patient asks for a copy of reports written by their GP about them, that certain information can be withheld if the GP does not feel it is in the patients best interests to see what was written. Openness, honesty and clarity are the cornerstones of all professional relationships such as those between a doctor and a patient.

[TheAuthor in reply to Lruk]

Hi Lruk

I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you possibly can be today? I agree with you totally, however, we have all read how some doctors have not taken any interest in their patients Fibro and this would have to stop immediately?

In the same breath we have all heard of patients bothering their GPs over nothing, so that would also have to stop?

It reminds me of a big brother society to be honest

Take care my friend

Ken x

[Hidden]

I think it would make me even more nervous than normal, I think I`d spend even more time just staring at the wall,with my mind blank than I do now. we`d never get anything done. That`s not to say that it`s not a good idea, I just don`t think it would work for me. Even the slightest stress and I shut down. sue

[TheAuthor in reply to Hidden]

Hi mayrose54

I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you can be today? Just think of every time that somebody has posted saying their GP wouldn't help, or said it was all in their mind or I don't believe in Fibro?

All of that would disappear overnight! It does make you think?

Take care

Ken x

[pip_r in reply to TheAuthor]

Also, if it became normalised then it wouldn't be weird to do... it would be the normal thing to do. Fifty years down the line people would probably think it was strange when people didn't record their conversations with GPs.

Pip xx

[TheAuthor in reply to pip_r]

Yes, you are spot on there! With each and every passing generation our ideas and notions of normality, acceptability and etiquette change. So they would think it odd that we never did this anyway.

Take care

Ken x

[Hidden in reply to TheAuthor]

OhI quite agree with you Ken.It`s just that I dont know how much of me staring at the wall he can take. At the moment he just sits and waits for it to pass but if It kept on happening.He would have to end the visit or he would run out of time.Besides the more it happens the more stressed I get and soon get so foggy that i cant speak or understand what is being said. Just would not work for me.

[TheAuthor in reply to Hidden]

I am the same, stress equals fog!

Take care

Ken x

[Mdaisy]

Hello All,

There are definitely arguments for and against, charities have to be open and transparent in the way they work so can relate to Lruk about the informed patient, good honest relationship and in this respect see no reason to refuse a recording. This honest informed relationship should be happening anyway and a recording should not change the way the consultation is conducted from either the patient or the Doctor's side but we all know that this isn't the probably the reality.

Confidentiality would be a big issues as well as Data Protection if people recorded appointments and it seems it cause many problems especially as Ken mentioned a big brother society. I wonder whether all appointments should have independent advocate linked to the practice which you can ask to be present as a witness to the consultation much the same as when you need someone present if a male Dr has to examine a female and vice versa. Would you feel uncomfortable divulging things in front on an independent person even if it was confidential?

I think the main point Lruk brought up from this article is for what reasons did this doctor refuse based on confidentiality or due to their personal concerns/opinions about their abilities as a Healthcare Professional , with duty of care etc.

Have anyone ever felt that they would want to record their appointments and here's a big question do you think it happens without the knowledge of the Doctor? What are your opinions about this?

Interesting debate, does anyone think an independent advocate may have helped them in the past?

I look forward to your comments

Emma

FibroAction Administrator

[TheAuthor in reply to Mdaisy]

Hi Mdaisy

I do not think I have been involved in anything whereby an independent advocate would have been useful. However, we sometimes go private, and this again, opens up the debate of, would it just apply to NHS or private as well?

I can imagine how it could work within the NHS, in that, a single set of ethos and protocols. Private could be different as it would be difficult to enforce a non-medical ethos or practice on a private consultant who does not conform to NHS rules and regulations?

If this were to be enforced, I can envisage it would be fought by the private sector and then have to go through both The Lords and Parliament to amend the law to enforce it? The same could then be applied to counselling practice? Data protection here must surely be paramount?

Under the law, a counsellor (non NHS) does not have to inform the authorities if a client admits to serious criminal activity. The mind boggles if this were to change, as would any counsellor knowingly make themselves accessory to a criminal act? Most counsellors do not work within the health service.

This would be very interesting and improve the content of 24 hour rolling news channels!

Thank you

Ken x

[gracesgrandma]

Hi I was surprised by this but I think what surprised me the most was the reaction by the Doctor who read it. He said that it made him think more carefully when speaking and advising his patients. Shouldn't this be what he is doing already? Just a thought x

[TheAuthor in reply to gracesgrandma]

Exactly, you have hit it on the head! You expect good service and safe service. Nothing more, nothing less.

Take care

Ken x