Educating the patient

[Dale Moss]

Dear List:

I had a call the other day from a woman I'd referred to a homeopath in her area for treatment of her daughter. After six months of homeopathic treatment, the mom was thinking of taking her child back to allopathic medicine for a "second opinion."

Why? It sounded at first as if the kid not doing well at all. A rough winter, bouts of flu, ear infections, abdominal pain, terrible edema, etc. Upon closer questioning, it turned out that her symptoms were all ROS, and that her edema was not generalized but restricted to one hand and one foot. In spite of this rough winter, the girl's lab tests were actually IMPROVING!

I explained to this anxious mom that this return of old symptoms was truly a GOOD thing and that her daughter seemed to be moving in the right direction of cure (top downward, inside out). Her homeopath, in other words, was doing everything right and she should not spoil the progress of his treatment by switching to allopathic care. Mom, of course, was delighted -- and reassured.

Why hadn't her homeopath told her this? When she asked about specific symptoms, he told her not to worry about them, but neglected to explain WHY. Let this be a lesson that when it comes to dealing with anxious parents or anxious patients, simple reassurances may not be what's needed. Sometimes they need to be told why certain kinds of aggravations are considered good in the wonderful world of homeopathic healing.

This incident made me wonder how many cases are lost to inadequate patient education rather than poor prescribing.

Peace,
Cinnabar
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Shannon Nelson]

Sheri, I *SO* agree with you!!!!
Information, not bland reassurances!!! "Don't worry about it" can make it
sound like the h'th isn't really aware of what's happening, or doesn't think
it matters.
on 2/23/04 2:02 PM, DMH at igan@gis.net wrote:

[Sheri Nakken]

At 03:02 PM 02/23/2004 -0500, you wrote:
area for treatment of her daughter. After six months of homeopathic
treatment, the mom was thinking of taking her child back to allopathic
medicine for a "second opinion."
winter, bouts of flu, ear infections, abdominal pain, terrible edema, etc.
Upon closer questioning, it turned out that her symptoms were all ROS, and
that her edema was not generalized but restricted to one hand and one foot.
In spite of this rough winter, the girl's lab tests were actually IMPROVING!
a GOOD thing and that her daughter seemed to be moving in the right
direction of cure (top downward, inside out). Her homeopath, in other
words, was doing everything right and she should not spoil the progress of
his treatment by switching to allopathic care. Mom, of course, was
delighted -- and reassured.
symptoms, he told her not to worry about them, but neglected to explain
WHY. Let this be a lesson that when it comes to dealing with anxious
parents or anxious patients, simple reassurances may not be what's needed.
Sometimes they need to be told why certain kinds of aggravations are
considered good in the wonderful world of homeopathic healing.
education rather than poor prescribing.

I agree totally - I get many of the same situations and just had one last
night. I get emails frequently.

It is indeed frustrating and ESPECIALLY so for the patient.

Yes, indeed, how many have been lost due to inadequate patient education -
many I fear.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Classical Homeopath
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[gracehealth4all]

Dear Cinnabar,

Did you ask the other homeopath for her opinion on this matter and allow
her/him to tell his/her side of the story?

Best regards,

Grace
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[Julian Winston]

At 3:02 PM -0500 2/23/04, Cinnabar wrote:

[snip]
Was just talking in OZ, and had a big revelation.
I was describing the four steps of knowledge/learning:

1. Unconscious incompetence
2. Conscious incompetence
3. Conscious competence
4. Unconscious competence.

The behavior you describe comes from #4-- and leads back to #1-- they
know it so well, that they don't even know they don't know.

AND....

That's where the majority of "all star" teachers are working from.
They are all excellent clinicians and homeopaths-- but they are (with
a few far and between exceptions) *piss poor teachers.*

JW
(an excellent teacher, so all my reviews have said for the last thirty + years)

[E&M Wighton]

Good to see you arrived home safely, JW

You were a great teacher here in Oz!

Elizabeth

JW
(an excellent teacher, so all my reviews have said for the last thirty + years)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Dale Moss]

Dear Grace,

No, I did not contact the other homeopath, but I did make it clear to the
mom that she needed to discuss her anxieties with him. My goal at the time
was to allay the mom's anxieties. My point in writing the group was to
remind us all, myself included, of the importance of educating our patients
as to the possible courses a homeopathic healing can take.

Peace,
Cinnabar

[gracehealth4all]

Thank you Cinnabar.

Grace
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]