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LETTERS: Anne Fleissig, John McKenzie, Sue Lockwood, Rosetta Manaszewicz, Geraldine Leydon, Clare Moynihan, Mary Boulton, Alison Jones, Jean Mossman, Markella Boudioni, and Klim McPherson Information needs of patients with cancer BMJ 2000; 321: 632 [Full text]

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Meeting the information needs of patients

Roger M Goss   (11 September 2000)

Meeting the information needs of patients 11 September 2000
Roger M Goss Send response to journal: Re: Meeting the information needs of patients	Editor - Geraldine Leydon et al's response (1) to a consumer advocate's critique (2) of their paper (3) makes depressingly familiar reading. Academics, researchers and some health professionals inhabit a different planet from many patients and their advocates. They can build careers doing an intellectual dance around others' suffering. Their reputedly insight packed papers invariably end by calling for more research. But patients' information needs and the obstacles to meeting them are common knowledge to consumer advocates. Most of us have listened to thousands of callers describe in great detail their experiences and emotions as they struggle to discover what they want to know. However information is power. Disclosing the uncertainty, lack of knowledge and evidence which permeates much medical practice and advice does not come naturally to doctors. To be more forthcoming would reputedly undermine patient trust. But blind trust can prove even more dangerous than unpalatable knowledge as the disasters of recent times prove. Thus there is an inherent conflict of interest in and perception of what constitutes good communication. Professional studies of doctor/patient communication tend to ignore or obscure this reality rarely adding new insights into how to overcome the problem. How much more helpful if research would stop endlessly focussing on patients' information needs, which are well known, and concentrate on how to ensure that they are met. Roger M. Goss Consumer member - BMJ Editorial Board Director -Patient Concern P.O. Box 23732, London SW5 9FY (1) Lockwood S, Manaszewicz. Patients' perspectives may vary. BMJ 2000; 321: 632. (9 September) (2) Leydon G, Moynihan C, Boulton M, Jones A, Mossman J, McPhersdon K Authors' reply. BMJ 2000; 321: 633 ( 9 September) (3) Leydon G, Moynihan C, Boulton M, Jones A, Mossman J, McPhersdon K. Cancer patients' information needs and information seeking behaviour: in depth interview study. BMJ 2000; 320: 909-13. (1April)