Sometimes patients reach the wrong health-related decisions even when they're working with the right information.
When you layer the sheer volume of mis- and disinformation circulating online nowadays on top of that dynamic, the magnitude of the challenge facing patients and their families starts to take shape.
This illustration comes from "EDUCATOR: An Illustrated Case Study," co-authored with the talented Karen Kopacek and brought to life through George Folz's creativity and skills.
The conversation depicted between the main characters - a woman with heart failure and her son - takes place the morning after she trips on a loose rug in the middle of the night while walking to the bathroom. While the cause of her frequent nighttime urination is correctly identified, gaps in this patient's knowledge about her condition lead to the unfortunate decision to stop taking a critically important medication.
My #IPE colleagues and those working throughout the health professions will not be surprised to learn that this decision results in fluid retention, an exacerbation of the patient's heart failure, and ultimately a hospital admission.
Whose responsibility is it to ensure patients and their families are prepared to sift through and process the deluge of online information - some accurate, some not - about their health?
From: Kopacek KJ, Porter AL, Dopp JM, Zorek JA. Chapter 5: Cardiology. In: Zorek JA. Interprofessional Practice in Pharmacy: Featuring Illustrated Case Studies. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2021:101-128.
