Professional Documents
Culture Documents
How Do You Deal With People With A Hospital Aversion
How Do You Deal With People With A Hospital Aversion
Whydopeopleavoidseeingadoctor?
AsurveyconductedbytheOfficeofNationalStatistics(ONS)in2010determinedthetop3reasons
peoplechosenottoseeadoctorwerebecausetheywereconcernedaboutwhatthedoctormight
find.1
IthinkthisislinkedtotheHealthBeliefModel(HBM)whichwevecomeacrossinthepast,which
suggeststhatpeoplewillonlyactif(essentially)theperceivedbenefitsoftheirbehaviour
outweightheperceivedrisks.2,3
AnothersourceIfoundsuggestedthat,outofapproximately75%ofthegeneralpopulationwho
experienceanysymptom(s),onlyathirdwillseetheirGP.Anotherthirdwilldonothing,whereasthe
remainingthirdwillselfmedicateorseekhelpfromanalternativepractitioner.4Italsostatedthat
therewasahigherproportionofpeoplewithminorsymptomswhoconsultedadoctor,comparedto
thosewithsignificantsymptomswhodidnotconsultadoctor.
Importanttobeawarethatpeoplewhoseeadoctorregardingminorailmentsmayactuallyreflect
onananxietythatthingsmightbeserious.
Painleadstobehaviourthatisshapedbyoperantconditioning:gooddaysleadtodoingtoomuch,
resultinginbaddayswhenlittlecanbedonewhilewaitingforpaintosettle=lowmood,
anxiety/frustration.Importanceoflearninghowtopaceself.
Healthbeliefsandpain
Ifpeoplethinkthattheirpainistheresultofdamage,thentheywillbelesslikelytodothings
leadstogradualreductioninphysicalmobilityandresultsinsecondaryproblemslikestiffness,
posturalchanges.
1
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/prod_consump/groups/cr_common/@abt/@gen/documents/ge
neralcontent/cr_085096.pdf
2
https://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20Clusters/Health%20Communication/He
alth_Belief_Model/
3
http://sjmselibrary.sch.ng/EBooks%20Phil/health%204.pdf
psychologyandsociologyappliedtomedicine