Thank you for joining me again this evening for our nightly podcasts. I perform these podcasts in the hopes that you will be able to education yourself on the topics discussed so you can make better informed medical decisions regarding your health in the future. I am doctor Harrison Campbell of Restoration Health a premier sugar land chiropractors office. Previously we discussed red flags when a chiropractor is performing an examination. These red flags guide the chiropractor from performing an adjustment due to this therapy not being advised for the patient. In the process of this discussion consent to treat was briefly brought up. Tonight, we will dive into consent to treat and what exactly goes into this.
Consent to treat is something which all doctors, not just sugar land chiropractors use to show that no matter what procedure is being performed the patient has provided their agreement for it to be performed. This document has more than just a patient signing saying they agree to have something done however.
The consent to treat form indicates there has been a discussion between doctor and patient regarding what is happening with the patient’s health and there is or are procedures which can be performed to benefit the patient. The doctor will discuss the treatment option available to the patient. Again, all doctors even sugar land chiropractors discuss the treatment options available. The reason for this is a doctor does not decide the treatment a patient receives. This is where most misconception occur with health care.
Doctors, provide the information regarding treatment plans but the patient is the one who decides what happens. Remember that because doctors are first and foremost educators. The roll sugar land chiropractors have with their patients is to educate them on their health. We discuss what their symptoms means in regard to diagnosis. We discuss what the diagnosis means. We explain why symptoms occur with certain diagnoses. We explain the treatment options available as explained before. But what we do not do is make the decision for the patient.
Those of you who have been listening to these podcasts for a little bit might remember the phrase make a better informed medical decisions regarding your health care. It is in the introduction and it is why I perform these nightly podcasts. The reason I say that is because that is what it means to be one of the best sugar land chiropractors for the patients who need me. I educate people so they can make a decision on which direction to go with their health care. It is my goal to guide a patient by providing the information they do not have.
Now once the treatment options have been provided to the patient the patient has the right and the opportunity to decide which path they wish to go. Often times patients wish to know more information about the treatments available to them. Again it is the doctors responsibility to answer those questions using factual evidence and their expert medical knowledge. The first big question is cost typically. Everyone wants to know the cost associated with each treatment plan. While the cost is important remember who only have one body. You can not replace you. You can replace your car, you can replace your phone, but there is only one you. Weight the cost but do not make the decision based solely on cost.
The second question most patients ask is time. People want to know the time investment required for each treatment plan. As sugar land chiropractors know this is often the most important factor in deciding which treatment plan to pursue. The time requirement is based off a variety of factors such as injury, a persons age, a persons health, prior medical issue, etcetera. Again a doctor uses their expert medical knowledge to inform the patient of the time requirement for each treatment. This is an important factor because everyone wants to get better as quickly as possible. This is a goal at Restoration Health. We want to get everyone better so they can return to their hobbies, their work, or their friends and family as quickly as possible.
A third question regarding treatment plans revolves around will it work or what are the chances of success for the treatment. No one wants to spent time and money on a treatment if it will not have the results they are looking for. Doctors understand this and we can provide the success rates for the treatment plans so you can make that informed decision. This is essential to a patient understanding their prognosis and is important for people when they are considering which treatment plan they want to pursue.
Once these have questions have been answered and any other questions a patient may have a decision can be made. There are some cases where a patient wants a doctor to make the decision for them. Again, remember what was said before. We as sugar land chiropractors are educators. We do not decide for patients. We provide the information they need to make the decision for themselves. At the end of the day the patient is responsible for their health. They are the one who must make the decision on what path needs to be taken. No one can take that right away from them. IT should be noted that this topic of a patient’s choice is becoming more important with the discussion on health care looming. An aspect of this discussion which needs to be observed carefully is the patient’s ability to decide their care. Every patient deserves that right.
Thank you for joining me again this evening for another great podcast. I hope you enjoyed the discussion on consent to treat and the roll of doctors and educators. As always should you or someone you know require a sugar land chiropractors services or simply have more questions on what was discussed please call Restoration Health today. We would love to schedule you an appointment and get you on the path to better health today. Thank you once again for joining us. Have a good night.