DOCTOR SHOPPING

DOCTOR SHOPPING

Shoppers are defined as patients who change their doctor more than once in same course of disease. Following factors are being assumed for doctor shopping:

I. Cultural beliefs and poor medical knowledge of the general public. For more than two thousand years, the concepts and practice of medicine have been influenced by the traditional medicine philosophy.  Psychology of patient still gives the image of magical cure.

II. Poor doctor attitude and doctor-patient communication - inadequate patient education. Doctor’s knowledge, skills, attitude, reputation, availability, office location and fee charges etc.  

III. Poor patient understanding and recall-ability.

TRY THIS

Right to information and importance of information-provide enough information to understand.

Details of advice and instructions should be explained in serious conditions.

Written handouts.

Total number of revisits can be increased to counsel the patients who has poor recalls or memory of instructions given by hospital staff.

Average percentage for all questions forgotten was 46.4% with verbal advice without leaflets, while 31.9% forgotten with verbal and written advice.