BY SIMONE J. SMITH
There was a time when the doctor-patient relationship and practicing high-quality medicine were once cherished principles of our healthcare system, but in recent years, a new guiding principle has been made clear to the doctors, nurses, and others who care for patients: health care is a for-profit enterprise. The healthcare industry is now linked with larger corporations that have their own written rules. They spend millions on massive marketing campaigns that sell the public on their commitment to patient care, but it was made clear during this pandemic that the main priority is their bottom line.
There was a study done that reviewed disciplinary threats made to healthcare professionals by their governing bodies in the US. The researchers wanted to bring attention to the populace, healthcare workers, and healthcare administrators that illegal and unconstitutional gag orders have been placed on all healthcare workers in the US, and that has left me thinking, what are they not allowed to talk about, and how does this affect the people they are supposed to serve.
The American Board of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (ABOG) and other authoritative bodies regulating healthcare workers issued inappropriate gag orders on their constituents. Could this have something to do with the adverse effects that have been reported by pregnant women after taking the COVID-19 vaccine? There have been reputable sources of data, and medical literature that speaks to the DANGER of COVID-19 vaccines, especially during pregnancy and in women of reproductive age.
It is why I want to speak to the topic of health literacy. Health literacy is the level to which a person can obtain, process, and understand essential health services and information needed to make necessary health decisions. For most of us, we blindly listen to our doctors, and for good reason; they are the experts. They went to school for that, so who are you to question them right? The problem with that theory is that if you are unable to understand medical terminology, you are at risk of not making the appropriate health decisions, which can have severe consequences.
Several things can negatively impact one’s health literacy: lack of educational opportunities, disabilities, cognitive declines, language barriers, and economic factors. Right now, there are a few populations at greater risk for limited literacy, including seniors, immigrants, minorities, and low-income communities.
A person’s inability to read or write can also affect their overall lifestyle, including income level, housing, education, and occupation. A patient suffering from illiteracy or income inequality has a higher chance of being exposed to unsafe conditions and environments, thus impacting their health knowledge, status, and access to services.
I want to make this very clear; it is a healthcare professionals responsibility to help patients understand their medical issues and care options, and this includes informed consent, something that was exempt throughout this COVID-19 experience.
When mass fear and anxiety are commonplace, such as during the pandemic, physicians can become so focused on combating the disease that they forget the individual patient’s experience.
They must remember that patients are individuals and not just the diagnoses that they may receive. Focused empathy is necessary when treating patients with COVID-19; this will help to enhance the doctor-patient relationship. Your responsibility; get second and third opinions on any diagnosis you have, and be clear about what you are putting in your body, and how it could adversely affect you in the future.
