The Patient-Physician Encounter

3 Common Patient-Physician Relationship Models -(Continued)-

#3) The Mutual Participation Model - Shared Responsibility

In the third model, the mutual participation model, the physician and patient share responsibility for making decisions and planning the course of treatment. The patient and physician are respectful of each others expectations and values.

Some have argued that this is the most appropriate model for chronic illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, where patients are responsible for implementing their treatment and determining its efficacy. The changes in the course of chronic rheumatic conditions require a physician and patient to have open communication so as to determine the success of a treatment plan.

What Is The Optimal Patient-Physician Relationship Model For Chronic Arthritis?

Some rheumatologists feel that the optimal patient-physician relationship model is somewhere between guidance-cooperation and mutual participation.

In reality, the nature of the patient-physician relationship likely changes over time. Early on, at the time of diagnosis, education and guidance is useful in learning to manage the disease. Once treatment plans are established the patient moves towards the mutual-participation model as they:

The Efficacy Of Treatment

Arthritis is not a single disease. There are over 100 types of arthritis and related conditions. The effectiveness of treatment is largely dependent on the patient carrying out the directions of the physician. Treatment options for arthritis may involve:

• taking prescribed medications
• arthritis-friendly exercises
• joint protection techniques
• natural remedies
• pain relief techniques
• changes to diet and nutrition
• weight control
• changing or adapting your work habits
• physical therapy and occupational therapy
• mutual support and other coping strategies

Non-adherence to the physicians treatment plan does imply a negative outcome. In this regard, non-adherence suggests a complete failure to follow a prescribed treatment. The assumption here is that:

What Are The Effects Of An Effective Patient-Physician Relationship?

What are the effects of an effective patient-physician relationship? When the PATIENT-PHYSICIAN RELATIONSHIP includes:

• competence
• communication
• an effective style

These factors can provide for PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH CARE which leads to better ADHERENCE TO TREATMENT.

When better ADHERENCE TO TREATMENT combines with PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH CARE, this often promotes IMPROVED HEALTH with a BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE.

BOTTOMLINE: The adherence to a treatment plan by a patient and the success of the treatment can be greatly impacted by the patient-physician relationship.

More Related Resources

_{Source: Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis by Stanton Newman, Ray Fitzpatrick, Tracey A. Revenson, Suzanne Skevington, and Gareth Williams}

Go Back To Part 1 --- The Patient-Physician Encounter --->