Empowered patients may be a nuisance for a handful of physicians and nurses, according to a Medscape poll.
Here are five thoughts:
1. Regarding empowerment in the context of patient care, 69 percent of physicians and 89 percent of nurses said it pertains to patients asking about treatment options' and drugs' benefits and drawbacks.
2. Seventy percent of physicians and 79 percent of nurses defined patient empowerment as patients being more active in choosing which treatment or drug would most benefit them.
3. Of physician respondents, 21 percent said patient empowerment annoyed them.
4. Five percent of nurses reported empowered patients are annoying.
5. However, 54 percent of physicians and 82 percent of nurses found empowered patients helpful.