The document discusses information therapy and the importance of empowering patients through education. It argues that patients should not leave all decisions up to doctors, but rather become informed partners through accessing reliable health information. The organization HELP provides various educational resources to patients and works with doctors, hospitals, and companies to promote information therapy and empowered patient decision making.

2. Information Therapy – for treating Infertility Dr Malpani, MD

3. You cannot afford to leave everything upto your doctor ! Infertility is an elective treatment which you take by choice Multiple options, including Adoption Childfree living Social pressures Emotional factors

4. You cannot afford to leave everything upto your doctor ! Your doctor cannot read your mind You cannot abdicate the responsibility of making these life-changing decisions to him ! You need peace of mind you did your best Make a well-informed choice !

5. You cannot afford to leave everything upto your doctor ! Partnership of equals You need to do your homework ! Not try to become a doctor, but try to make the most of your doctor !

6. Information Therapy Free ( practically) No side effects ( if used properly) Grows when shared ( like love !) Ignorance can be Expensive !

8. Today, patients are unhappy with the medical profession Seen to be uncaring - doctors are too busy to talk or to explain Overtesting and Overtreatment Too expensive Move to alternative medicine

10. 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

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

12. 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 ?

13. 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.

14. 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 !

15. 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 .

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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 !

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

21. 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 !

22. Internet positive patients Frustrated Confused Frustrate doctors as well

23. 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 !

24. 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 !

29. 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

30. 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.

31. 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

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

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

34. 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

35. 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 ! Huge demand Huge opportunity

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

37. 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)

38. Future Plans More comic books - How to Get the Best Medical Care Translate into Indian languages Animated flash movies Games Use technology to engage and entertain patients !

41. Myhealthpedia.in India’s first health wiki Everyone can contribute !