Austin Frakt and Aaron Carroll offer this fantastic perspective on patients' lack of knowledge about the relative risks and benefits of common treatments. The conclusion:
Even though some patients may benefit somewhat from being ill informed, it seems wrong to argue that we should keep them in the dark. Many of the studies in the systematic review show that people report that they would opt for less care if they better understood benefits and harms. Improved communication could better serve patients and might improve the efficiency of our health system if patients focus on getting the types of care for which the benefit outweighs risk of harm.
Even though some patients may benefit somewhat from being ill informed, it seems wrong to argue that we should keep them in the dark. Many of the studies in the systematic review show that people report that they would opt for less care if they better understood benefits and harms. Improved communication could better serve patients and might improve the efficiency of our health system if patients focus on getting the types of care for which the benefit outweighs risk of harm.
It’s
also possible that unrealistic expectations of care help patients cope
with disease or provide them with some sense of control. Feeling hopeful
about one’s future is not to be dismissed. But those unrealistic
expectations don’t come cheap. We should at least consider the price
that we pay for being uninformed.
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