News

Patients are ready for partnership

This editorial piece asks why doctors are still so bad at providing patients with information. The author states that despite the best efforts of some health professionals, communication is often patchy, many questions are never asked for want of an opportunity or for fear of appearing demanding, and answers can be contradictory and confusing. All of which stands in the way of the patients ability to understand what’s happening and to be active in decisions about their health.

Subscription required: www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/337/nov06_1/a2431?papetoc

Border Crossing - Copy them in

This observations article is about copying patients into medical correspondence which the author believes will
increase the public’s health literacy. The article looks at health literacy and strategies to improve it as well as the imporvements in continuity of care that sharing medical correspondence and test results can bring.

Subscription required:  www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/337/nov04_3/a2324?papetoc