How do you deal with people with a hospital aversion?

Social implications of limited mobility to patient and family? What support is

available?
What are the reasons why surgery might be delayed? From the patient or hospital?
What is the psychosocial impact of disengagement with the healthcare system?
What is the impact of chronic pain in the context of the case?

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