Patient engagement has become a buzzword today, and lots of efforts have been made to involve patients in their own health care. Here's a free simple way which any doctor can use to empower their patients. After telling the patient what medicines he needs to take, he can request the patient to write his own prescription for himself. After all, at the end of the consultation, the patient should know exactly what tablets they're taking; why; and when. If they can write this down, this reinforces the fact that they are right.
This is a great form of teaching back and reassures the doctor that he has done a good job of explaining the treatment to the patient. Once the doctor has confirmed everything is correct, he can then sign off on the prescription, so that it's legally valid. This approach creates a positive virtuous cycle. It checks that the patient has understood the information…
