Importance of Counseling a Patient Regarding Treatment Protocol

Counseling and educating a patient regarding the treatment protocol before the commencement of the session is vital. Every patient is different. Every case is individualized according to the condition and the physiological status of the person. So, when a case is presented to us, we as medical practitioners should be very much keen in understanding the complaints and history of a patient.

I personally have come across a lot of cases where patients are eager to express their pain and want to have a helping hand in terms of mental satisfaction. There are a lot of cases in which patients are psychologically more depressed and disturbed than the physical deformities. They get a preconception that they will never be getting into their previous form later in life after the disease. They land up in gaining more negativity in life.

Examination and diagnosis alone do not play a significant role in the assessment of a patient, but there must be a point in every assessment chart of counseling and education of the patient, which should be included during every treatment session. Every therapist or physician should take a minimum of 15 to 25 minutes time allotted for counseling the patient and educating about the disease which he or she is suffering from.

Counseling session should consist of:

• Questioning about the previous medical history and immediately answering the patient with the effectiveness of the present session.

• Understanding the psychological issues arising due to the physical deformity.

• Providing confidence, assurance and gaining co-operation from the patient and the family for a successful completion of the session.

• Giving a chance to the patient to introspect himself and find a solution for the problem which he finds comfortable and collaborating it with the therapist‘s solution for a better prognosis.

Education session should include the following:

• The therapist should clearly inform the patient about his diagnosis and the disease that he or she is suffering from, no matter how much the severity of the condition is.

• Providing information to the patient regarding the protocol, which the therapist has designed for him or her.

• The therapist should inform the patient about the possible effectiveness of all the individual techniques that he is going to deliver.

• The patient has got all the freedom to ask for any kind of queries that props up in his mind regarding the protocol.

• The patient should be given freedom to suggest any change in the treatment plan that he or she finds uncomfortable with.

• The patient is instructed strictly to follow all the home advises by the therapist or physician.

• Patients should be advised to know the pros and cons about their daily habits and how to rectify them.

Such a treatment protocol is very much required nowadays to bring about a satisfactory result for the efforts put on by the therapists for the patients. Patients should feel free to interact and communicate with the therapist more so that a friendly atmosphere is created during the session. Both the patient and the respective family members should be included in the counseling and education session.