Is Non-Compliance Keeping You Sick?

Is Non-Compliance Keeping You Sick?

Posted using ShareThis Dr. Mark Wiley makes some excellent points about team work between patient and healer as well as the importance of compliance with a treatment plan for illness, especially chronic illness. As a nurse practitioner I wholeheartedly agree that compliance is key to any treatment regimen. A treatment regimen will work most of the time if used properly. Therefore the first thing to assess in any healer-patient interaction is compliance issues. I spend a lot of time first finding out what has worked and not worked for patients. Sometimes it takes awhile to uncover compliance issues but it is worth the effort because treatment plans are doomed to fail unless the issues are resolved.

I also agree that many patients want the healer to figure it all out and solve their problems. But this never works, largely because it was never meant to work that way in the first place. There is no "magic bullet" treatment plan, no "magic wand." Believe me I would have a magic wand if there was such a thing! The real key, the real "wand" here is that people have the power within them to achieve optimum health even with a chronic illness. The challenge is helping them realize they have it and then helping them access it so they "own" the problem along with the plan to solve it. So for all you patients out there who have struggled with chronic illness with no end in sight I have good news for you. You have it within you to be healthy or at least improve your status. With the right healer you can discover what is holding you back from achieving a better level of health. There may not be a cure, but you can come optimally close by charting your course with a healer that is in tune with your needs but who will also give you advice you may not want to hear at the time. But take time to hear it and take that first step to try. I promise you will be amazed at the results. Then keep taking more steps. You can do it!

For all you practitioners, physicians, nurses, and other healers take the time to assess compliance issues with your patients right from the beginning and throughout your interactions with them. Trust me, your treatment plans will fail if your patients haven't bought into them so don't waste your breath telling me you don't have the time. Resolving compliance issues will actually save time and money in the long run for you, your patients and society as a whole. Now that's reform that will really help patients and that we can pay for!