MTNL Perfect Health Mela to extend for over a month on the theme Disaster Management and Practice etiquette based medicine

This year’s MTNL Perfect Health Mela will have its activities extending over a month. Announcing this in a press conference, Padma Shri and Dr B C Roy National Awardee Dr. KK Aggarwal president Heart care foundation of India said that the activities will start on 29th September World Heart day with a Dil ka Darbar and end on 31st October with CPR 10 Utsav at DPS Mathura Road. The main traditional mela will be held at Constitution Club of India from 23-26th October which will have exhibitions, competitions entertainment, checkups and workshops about all aspects of health incorporating all pathies under one roof.

Co addressing the conference  Mr Vinod Kumar, GM Marketing MTNL, Delhi; Mr Deepak Chanduka, GM Marketing MTNL Corporate; Dr. N V Kamath, and Dr. K S Baghotia from DHS; Dr. N K Yadav MHO MCD South, Dr. Ramesh Kumar, CMO NDMC and Dr Shally Kamra, CMO, PNDT said that the mela will focus on disaster management and prevention.

Celebrity guest for the event Pandit Jwala Prasad a music legend released the dates and the theme. He said that music and entertainment when combined with health can be more healing. 

1st July doctors day

Sixty percent of people do not discuss their sexual behavior and performance with the doctor when they go for consultation

A survey of 452 people was conducted by Heart Care Foundation of India and eMedinewS on the occasion of Doctors Day. The objective of the survey was to assess the perception of doctor-patient relationship among the people. 

The survey included patients, social workers, RWAs, morning walkers, college students and government employees from Delhi.  Data was collected using a questionnaire, which the survey participants were asked to answer. 

Elaborating on the observations of the survey, Padma Shri & Dr. BC Roy National Awardee,
Dr. K K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India said that the data came up with some interesting changing trends among the people with regard to doctor-patient relationship.

Sexual preferences, choices and behaviors

a. The survey revealed that only 42% had a family physician. 

b. When suffering from an illness 52% of the people would directly opt to visit a specialist and not a family physician, which is not a good trend.

c. The traditional concept of a ‘family physician’, who looked after all the health needs of a family regardless of his/her specialization, is now changing. Everybody should have a family physician for better patient care.

d. Even today, 60% people do not discuss their sexual behavior and performance with the doctor when they go for consultation. 

e. 80% of the ties doctors also do not ask them about their sexual preferences, behaviors and problems. 

f.  This brings them to seek help from sex quacks and advise from friends and neighborhood.

g. People are sexually active even at elderly age. The proportion of man reporting no sex is 20% at age 51-60 and 87.5% at age above 75.  In women, reporting no se is 100% after the age of seventy. 16.17% of men reported that they are facing erectile dysfunction and 17.64% are having premature ejaculation during sexual act.

h. It is customary in US medical schools to be taught, when taking a sexual history, to ask whether someone is sexually active, and if so, what are his sexual preferences?

i. The questions asked in the history include as a routine:

Sexual history: "Do you feel comfortable with your sexuality?"

Sexual preference:  "Are you sexually attracted to men, women, or both?" 

Sexual high risk behavior: Do you have multiple partners

Young vs old doctors

a. 57% of people check the credentials and qualifications of a doctor before visiting them for consultation. This is a new trend in the society. 

b. But, even today 63% of people put their faith in the capabilities of their doctor and not on their dress code. 

c. Only 37% felt that their doctors should be well dressed in a suit and tie. 

d. While 65% still feel that senior doctors with white hair can provide better patient care than their younger fashionable counterparts as they have more clinical experience. 

e.  100% said that if you cannot practice “ compassion based medicine” at least practice etiquette based medicine”

Patients want privacy

40% of people did not want doctors to be their friends on Facebook. New International guidelines also warn doctors not to be connected with their patients on face book. 

Doc, no smoking please

Eighty-one percent people reported being disturbed when they saw their doctors smoking in public and would not like to be treated by a doctor who smoked in front of them.

Write legibly

67% felt that their doctors should have legible handwriting and favored an electronic prescription instead.

Please provide affordable, quality and safe medical care

78% people felt that that medical profession is becoming commercialized today and should be made more affordable for a common man. 59% felt that doctors’ charging less fee is not their concern. But, 41% were of the opinion that doctors should charge less as their profession is a noble one.

Patients want doctors to spend more time with them

a. 49% people I the survey reported being satisfied with less 15 minutes of a doctor’s time; 26% wanted their doctor to spend more than 15 minutes with them and the rest wanted time till they were satisfied. 

b. Even today 44% percent doctors do not advise their patients about adult vaccination. This needs immediate attention.

c. 55% people reported that their blood pressure had never been checked in both arms.

d.49% people preferred to take a dietary advice from their doctor and not from a dietitian.

e. Forty-seven percent persons did not have any health insurance. 49% of the patients did not know that when they are hiring a room in a private hospital, the insurance covers only 1% of the sum amount ensured for the bed.

f.  52% of the people do not know that error of judgment or difference of opinion is not an act of negligence on the part of the doctor. 

g.  48% are unaware of the fact that a doctor is supposed to possess only an average degree of skill and knowledge and not the maximum degree of skill and knowledge when treating a patient. 

h. 30% still did not know that creating violence in the hospital premises is an offence.

Patient wants second opinion from the same doctor

1. 60% would get a second opinion from their regular doctor if they are not satisfied, while 40% would like to take another opinion from another doctor

2. 72% of people do not want doctors to treat them just on clinical grounds but prefer getting investigated first. When advised investigations, 57% would ask their doctor to suggest a lab, while the rest said that they would choose their own lab.

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Patient etiquette

1. 46% people said that they preferred to call their doctor directly to fix an appointment and not the secretary. 

2. When calling for an appointment, 53% would choose to call on a mobile number and not the landline, whether the call is to the doctor or the secretary.

ABC of a good doctor

Where A is availability, B is behavior and C is capability.  95% of the people said that the will be satisfied if the doctors is available and has practices etiquette based medicine.

Etiquette based medicine

Remember Mnemonic AIEDT

A: Acknowledge

I: Introduce yourself

E: Explain about your plan

D: define the time spam of your plan

T thank the patient