Ignorance isn’t bliss when it comes to doctor’s appointments

Is your doctor telling you everything you need to know?

A new report says maybe not.

A University of Michigan study that looked at how 3,000 patients made decisions about their health found most of them to be badly informed.

Fewer than one in five could name the common side effects of statins, those cholesterol-lowering drugs that doctors are distributing like M&Ms.

It wouldn’t surprise me, then, if fewer still knew that in most cases statins are completely unnecessary in the first place. Show me a statin user, and I’ll show you someone who could almost certainly get the same benefits by making a few lifestyle adjustments, such as keeping bad carbs out of your diet.

These patients also said their doctors were more likely to tell them about the advantages of a treatment – and not the disadvantages.

This isn’t just wrong, it’s dangerous. A relationship between a doctor and a patient is one that needs to be based on trust, even when the picture isn’t a pretty one.

If you feel like you’re doctor isn’t telling you enough, be sure to ask a lot of questions. Take notes if you have to. Call or make another appointment if questions occur to you later on. You deserve all the answers.

You might think that these ill-informed patients turn out O.K. at the end of the day because after all, they’re following the advice of their doctors even if they don’t understand it, or the alternatives.

Well then, consider this: Studies have confirmed that patients who do have all the information often choose treatments more conservative than what their doctors had initially recommended.

It seems people may not know everything a doctor does – but when they know enough, they’re also perfectly capable of making reasonable decisions on their own, even if it’s different from what their doctor had suggested.

Wouldn’t you like that opportunity, too?