Personal Health, evidence-based medicine

Rise of the Smart Patient

Introduction: The Rise of the Smart Patient

How often does this happen in your practice: You enter the room to meet your patient, who presents you with a stack of literature she has downloaded off the Internet, self-diagnosing her perceived medical condition. You walk into the next room and a patient states that he wants a prescription for a new drug after reading information contained on that drug’s website, which he saw advertised on TV.

Treatment of Chronic Pain

Pain is the most common reason for patients to seek medical attention. Chronic pain has major effects on patients physically, psychologically, and socially and is a major cause of healthcare costs, disability, and lost workdays. There are numerous therapies for the treatment of chronic pain. Although there are a few medications with FDA indications for the treatment of pain, the majority of treatments are off-label use of drugs that have modest effects on pain.