Information Therapy and the Empowered Patient Dr Malpani, MD Founder HELP – Health Education Library for People

Patients are unhappy with the medical profession Seen to be uncaring Money-minded Doctors are too busy to talk or to explain Overtesting Overtreatment Too expensive Move to alternative medicine Long for the family doctor of the past…

Seen to be uncaring

Money-minded

Doctors are too busy to talk or to explain

Overtesting

Overtreatment

Too expensive

Move to alternative medicine

Long for the family doctor of the past…

Doctor versus Patient Indian patients are becoming increasingly articulate – they want more information about their medical conditions Unfortunately their doctors do not have the time to provide them this information in detail

Indian patients are becoming increasingly articulate – they want more information about their medical conditions

Unfortunately their doctors do not have the time to provide them this information in detail

Results ? Doctor –shopping Doctors get beaten up and arrested Hospitals get burnt down Doctors go on strike Everyone suffers !

Doctor –shopping

Doctors get beaten up and arrested

Hospitals get burnt down

Doctors go on strike

Everyone suffers !

Doctor and Patient We are all on the same side – the patients’ Medicine is a service profession Doctors like helping patients Want them to get better How can we create a win-win situation ?

We are all on the same side – the patients’

Medicine is a service profession

Doctors like helping patients

Want them to get better

How can we create a win-win situation ?

Information Therapy ! Information Therapy is Powerful Medicine ! Help patients to make better health decisions Patients are the largest untapped healthcare resource ! Empower them with information – so they can take better care of themselves , in partnership with their doctor.

Information Therapy is Powerful Medicine !

Help patients to make better health decisions

Patients are the largest untapped healthcare resource !

Empower them with information – so they can take better care of themselves , in partnership with their doctor.

Don’t underestimate your abilities ! 1. You are smart . With the right tools, you can make the right decisions ! 2. Knowledge is Power ! 3. Your doctor is your partner 4. You cannot afford to leave everything upto God – or upto the doctor !

1. You are smart . With the right tools, you can make the right decisions !

2. Knowledge is Power !

3. Your doctor is your partner

4. You cannot afford to leave everything upto God – or upto the doctor !

HELP helps you save money on medical care 1. Promote SelfCare . Help you to do as much for yourself as you can, so you are not completely dependent on the doctor 2. Provide Evidence-Based Guidelines , so you can ask for the right medical treatment that they need - no more and no less 3. Help you with Veto Power, so you can say No to medical care you don’t need, thus preventing overtesting and unnecessary surgery .

1. Promote SelfCare . Help you to do as much for yourself as you can, so you are not completely dependent on the doctor

2. Provide Evidence-Based Guidelines , so you can ask for the right medical treatment that they need - no more and no less

3. Help you with Veto Power, so you can say No to medical care you don’t need, thus preventing overtesting and unnecessary surgery .

We help doctors to talk to patients ! Improve doctor patient communication Help doctors to look at things from the patient’s point of view ! Improve empathy and their bedside manner Help them to get more patients ! Help them to reduce risk of lawsuits

Improve doctor patient communication

Help doctors to look at things from the patient’s point of view !

Improve empathy and their bedside manner

Help them to get more patients !

Help them to reduce risk of lawsuits

My personal experience I learn a lot from my patients ! If you treat patients with respect, they will respect you in return Patients get the doctors they deserve – and doctors get the patients they deserve Well-informed patients are easier to treat, because they have realistic expectations

I learn a lot from my patients !

If you treat patients with respect, they will respect you in return

Patients get the doctors they deserve – and doctors get the patients they deserve

Well-informed patients are easier to treat, because they have realistic expectations

We help patients to talk to doctors ! Demystify jargon Remove the fear Provide them with the tools they need Help patients to make sense of what is happening to them The quality of your doctor’s answers depend upon the quality of your questions !

Demystify jargon

Remove the fear

Provide them with the tools they need

Help patients to make sense of what is happening to them

The quality of your doctor’s answers depend upon the quality of your questions !

How do you find this information ? Google is great ! 24/7 Free Great for quick and dirty searches Instant access from home

Google is great !

24/7

Free

Great for quick and dirty searches

Instant access from home

But – Internet searches can be frustrating Get lost Information can be unreliable Confusing Conflicting information Not updated Whom do you trust ? Need handholding – especially in an area like medicine !

Get lost

Information can be unreliable

Confusing

Conflicting information

Not updated

Whom do you trust ?

Need handholding – especially in an area like medicine !

Internet positive patients Frustrated Confused Frustrate doctors as well

Frustrated

Confused

Frustrate doctors as well

Google and libraries It’s NOT google v/s libraries People who use google are the ones who will use libraries ! They ask questions. They trust – then verify ! Check and re-check – due diligence Knowledge is power ! Click and mortar complementary approach - use both !

It’s NOT google v/s libraries

People who use google are the ones who will use libraries !

They ask questions. They trust – then verify !

Check and re-check – due diligence

Knowledge is power !

Click and mortar complementary approach - use both !

Perfect for people who’ve already done a google search; and then need help Librarians – human infomediaries Librarian-mediated search Provide hand-holding Guides – online and the real-world !

Perfect for people who’ve already done a google search; and then need help

Librarians – human infomediaries

Librarian-mediated search

Provide hand-holding

Guides – online and the real-world !

What we provide Easy to read materials – for patients and by patients Wide variety of styles – from single page pamphlet to books Comprehensive – from stress management, exercise, diet, all illnesses, alternative medicine Over 300 DVDs

Easy to read materials – for patients and by patients

Wide variety of styles – from single page pamphlet to books

Comprehensive – from stress management, exercise, diet, all illnesses, alternative medicine

Over 300 DVDs

Brief history Established in 1997 Mission - to empower people by providing them with the information they need to promote their health , and prevent and treat medical problems in the family in partnership with their doctor. We are a registered charitable trust and a non-profit organisation.

Established in 1997

Mission - to empower people by providing them with the information they need to promote their health , and prevent and treat medical problems in the family in partnership with their doctor.

We are a registered charitable trust and a non-profit organisation.

HELP Talks Free talks daily Doctors, alternative medicines experts and by patients ( Expert Patient) Partnership with Times of India Foundation Wide range of topics Longest running series of health talks ( Limca Book of Records) , ongoing since 3 years

Free talks daily

Doctors, alternative medicines experts and by patients ( Expert Patient)

Partnership with Times of India Foundation

Wide range of topics

Longest running series of health talks ( Limca Book of Records) , ongoing since 3 years

Outreach activities Courier information ( fee charged) Email information – free value-add service Health ezine for corporates

Courier information ( fee charged)

Email information – free value-add service

Health ezine for corporates

Services for doctors MDConsult ( World’s largest online medical library) subscriptions as reduced prices

MDConsult ( World’s largest online medical library) subscriptions as reduced prices

Our focus areas now are: 1. encouraging health insurance companies to invest in patient education 2. advocating information therapy 3. setting up a national network of patient education centers 4. developing patient educational materials in Indian languages for the web

1. encouraging health insurance companies to invest in patient education

2. advocating information therapy

3. setting up a national network of patient education centers

4. developing patient educational materials in Indian languages for the web

HELP is growing ! National Network Every hospital should have a Patient Education Resource Center Win-win situation Great tool to empower patients Helps doctors and hospitals too !

Every hospital should have a Patient Education Resource Center

Win-win situation

Great tool to empower patients

Helps doctors and hospitals too !

New locations Mini-libraries in pharmacies Mini-libraries in medical laboratories Mini-libraries in clinics

Mini-libraries in pharmacies

Mini-libraries in medical laboratories

Mini-libraries in clinics

How do we grow ? Corporate Partners Win win ! CSR 80G benefits Health insurance companies are the best fit - dollar spent on patient education is 10 dollars saved ( on unnecessary testing and surgery)

Win win !

CSR

80G benefits

Health insurance companies are the best fit - dollar spent on patient education is 10 dollars saved ( on unnecessary testing and surgery)

Why libraries will always be useful ! Data v/s Information v/s Knowledge v/s Wisdom Libraries and librarians help transmute information into knowledge

Data v/s Information v/s Knowledge v/s Wisdom

Libraries and librarians help transmute information into knowledge