Second Pre – Conference Seminar-3rd Sep 2011

Using Information Therapy to Put Patients First:

The second pre-conference stressed on how information therapy will help improve India’s healthcare system:

• As patients become more demanding, providing information therapy will go a long way to improve the healthcare the patients receive.
• Unhappy patients = Unhappy doctors – Patients can be made happier and more satisfied by empowering them with information therapy.
• Doctors can use their websites to answer patients’ queries.
• There should be a Patient Relationship Manager at hospitals to provide information.
• Bring about behavioural changes in patients through information therapy.
• There should be an Information desk in the Out Patient Dept manned by student doctors, who will work in one-hour shifts. Information provided to patients should be approved by senior doctors.
• Early involvement of the patient by way of information therapy will be beneficial to patients.
• Information on the internet by way of research articles and easy accessibility thereof will help patients.
• Knowledge Attitude Practice questionnaire to be placed on the internet
• Progress after providing information therapy should be measured.
• Information Therapy should be inculcated into the curriculum.
• In case of learning difficulties, parents and children need to to seek information and start treatment at an early age of the child.
• Information therapy will help in overcoming pandemic problems – should adopt a WHO – a whole society approach.
• Information Therapy helps patients to know what to do themselves and when to go the doctor.
• Continued awareness effort should be there for the masses
• Advantages of information therapy include – helping patients make the right choice and knowing the unknown; but patients should try to avoid the disadvantages of information overload which causes confusion and a take a pro-active approach.