Patient Education

By Gary D. Friedman, MD

Published on August 01, 2006

There is a little question that doctors are seeing better-informed patients arrive at their offices today than a decade ago. More and more, patients show up already interested in a particular procedure(s) and inform us that they have researched the subject in preparation for their consultation. The quality and intelligence of their questions reflect that preparation. The spin-off from all of this is a win-win situation for both patients and doctors alike.

Both Parties Benefit

Patients benefit from doing research in a number of ways. Those who do their homework first get a lot more out of the experience because they retain more information and have a better understanding of the subject matter. Well-prepared patients often have specific, more pertinent questions. As a result they are better able to prioritize the information presented by the doctor and keep it organized. In the end, these patients are able to make more intelligent and appropriate decisions about their surgery.

Physicians benefit from this trend because educated patients are more compliant, understanding patients to deal with. The physician's job is easier when the patient feels less anxiety because he or she has a grasp and understanding of what lies ahead. After surgery, these patients are more likely to follow instructions and not do anything foolish because they did not understand.

When researching, patients do need to be aware of the source of their information. Today the public is exposed to a great deal of misinformation that influences and prejudices their thinking. This can come by way of irresponsible journalism, anecdotal experiences that are reported as factual (i.e. the silicone breast implant scare of the 1990s) and even gossip at cocktail parties. Oftentimes, it is difficult for prospective patients to separate fact from fiction. This should not be overstated, however, because despite the existence of misinformation, overall patients are better informed than in the past.

The Role of the Internet

So what is it that accounts for the improved pool of factual information that better educates patients today? There is no doubt that a number of sources are responsible, but a major one is unarguably the Internet. More and more people have access to and are utilizing the Internet as a source of information on virtually all subjects.

Cosmetic surgery is a prime example. Doctors and medical associations have made a major effort to present detailed information regarding cosmetic surgery procedures, as well as backgrounds on the doctors performing them. This far exceeds the more abbreviated information included in the brochures available in doctors' offices, or even from plastic surgery societies. There are a number of online plastic/cosmetic surgeon directories, such as Einstein Medical's DocShop series, that provide a wealth of information on virtually all cosmetic procedures. In addition, these directories provide the doctors' credentials. All of this is available to the patients before they ever go to visit the doctor for a consultation. By combining the information they gather from these directories with information they have compiled from other resources, such as personal physicians, other patients, and medical societies, prospective patients are able to make a better-informed decisions with regards to as choosing a qualified plastic surgeon.

Online Physician Directories

The website directories mentioned above offer detailed instructions on how to find qualified/board certified plastic surgeons and how to evaluate their credentials. As a result of websites like this, patients now arrive for their consultations understanding that only surgeons board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery are truly qualified to perform cosmetic surgery. That is, certification by any medical board is not enough. In fact, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), which governs all specialties of medicine, does not recognize the many similar-sounding boards. Such boards can be misleading to the patient searching for a qualified physician. But thanks to Internet directories like the DocShop series, things have been cleared up for the public.

These Internet directories also provide procedure discussions, message boards, and chat rooms with communication from patients who have already been through the various surgeries of interest. Here, objective and unbiased experiences are shared with prospective patients. In this way, the cosmetic surgery patient gets a balanced picture rather than the promotional approach that is unfortunately sometimes heard in doctors' offices. In addition, many of these sites provide FAQs (frequently asked questions) about each of the procedures and on plastic surgery in general. This adds to the patient's knowledge and understanding prior to consultation with the plastic surgeon.

Photo libraries of before-and-after pictures for each cosmetic procedure are also contained on these Internet directories. These galleries feature photographs from plastic surgeons all over the country and offer valuable insight into what defines realistic expectations and attainable results for each of the procedures. (Remember, however, that the results shown are often examples of the plastic surgeon's best results rather than the average results).

Finally, these directories oftentimes provide additional links to other information resources.

Because prospective patients are now armed with so much knowledge, valuable consultation time can be spent delving deeper into important details the patient wants to know more about. Never before has the patient had access to this amount of objective information to better assist in making appropriate and intelligent decisions about plastic surgery. It is likely that valuable information on the Internet will continue to expand and increasing numbers of patients will continue to take advantage and learn from this valuable resource.

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