On Patient responsibility

A lot is being spoken about patient centric health care and the quality of care received. Also the role of the government, the employers and the care providers. Is'nt it time to talk a bit about patient responsibility?
In a consumer driven society which believes in adages such as "customer is king" it feels as if the customer has no responsibility. Another misguided concept is that of the patient as a consumer.
I believe that each individual is personally responsible for his / her state of health. Taking help of the society or the health care sector is warranted in some situations but not without owning up the individual responsibility.
The so called unhealthy socialist approach happens when the individual expects the society to pay for his / her unwise choices.
Any healthcare reform will not succeed unless we as individuals develop a sense if individual responsibility, compassion for the social institutions and respect and consideration for the care providers.

Apollo Hospital Chennai

Visited the Apollo hospital today and was impressed with the patient friendly atmosphere there. The place was incredibly crowded but extremely streamlined and the thing that struck me was extremely well behaved and "patient" patients.

In India we certainly have significant responsibility being taken by patients, which eases pressure on the healthcare system.

Also it was evident that the patients had a very high level of respect for the care providers , which makes the job of carer providers relatively easier. Also patients are willing to adjust



Overall impression is that compared to the US, the overall atmosphere at the large hospital seemed very relaxed inspite of being crowded. A refreshingly different model, and a lot to learn for the users of the healthcare industry.