Specifically in Osteoarthritis, research has shown that most patient's have little understanding of their disease. This leads to poorer treatment results, prognosis, and quality of life including higher levels of pain. For example, in one clinical trial I did on Osteoarthritis, some patients actually made their joint pain worse. These patients incorrectly believed that it was best to be inactive in order to reduce pain and to protect their joints. In fact, the lack of activity can not only worsen joint pain, but can also lead to numerous other negative results including muscle weakening, disability, and negative Cardiovascular effects. Because of the potential harmful risks taken by patients who have little knowledge of their disease, it is critical for patients to understand their disease.
Clearly there are differences between the patient and the doctor in their knowledge of Osteoarthritis. However, the objective should be for you to have a general understanding of your disease, the various treatment options, and why specific Telephone Number List treatments will be used. In previous research, when patients had little knowledge of their disease, resulted in lower compliance with their doctors prescribed treatments. The outcome of your medical treatment results is dependent on your level of awareness of Osteoarthritis. The greater your understanding of your disease, the better you can make informed decisions regarding your overall health.
Asking open-ended questions like these may seem difficult because of the time required. However, it is not necessary or realistic to discuss all of these questions in one appointment with your doctor. Instead, it is recommended to discuss these questions over a few appointments. The information obtained from asking all these open-ended questions has been shown to be very valuable for a patient to improve their treatment results. During a clinical trial I did on Osteoarthritis, I suggested that patients print out this list of questions and bring them along to their appointment.