Demonstrating professionalism through approach, behaviour and attitudes of Realistic Medicine
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You can read the Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2020 – 2021, Recover, Restore, Renew, at the Scottish Government website.
One of the main aims of Realistic Medicine is for people using healthcare services and their families to feel empowered to discuss their treatment fully with healthcare professionals, including the possibility that a suggested treatment might come with side effects – or even negative outcomes. Everyone should feel able to ask their healthcare professional why they’ve suggested a test, treatment or procedure, and all decisions about a person’s care should be made jointly between the individual and their healthcare team.
Realistic Medicine is not about failing to offer treatments. It is about supporting people using healthcare services, and their families, to feel empowered to discuss their treatment. That’s why changing our style to sharing decisions with our patients is one of our priorities. A move away from the "Doctor knows best" approach to shared decision making between the professional and patient will require more meaningful discussions about the treatment options available as well as their risks and benefits.
Building a more personalised approach to care, in partnership with people through shared decision making, is perhaps the most important aim of Realistic Medicine. We must create a more open and trusting atmosphere that facilitates more meaningful conversations between people and their healthcare professionals that help people make informed choices about their treatment and care options, based on what matters most to them.
Healthcare professionals are the stewards of healthcare resources. We know that overuse of investigation and treatment can result in harm to patients. By seeking out and eliminating harm and waste, we can provide healthcare that people really value.
Tackling unwarranted variation is essential to improving outcomes derived from healthcare across Scotland. Unwarranted variation is variation in healthcare that cannot be explained by need, or by explicit patient or population preferences. We need to ensure the prevention of harm and waste from overuse and overtreatment, freeing up resources currently used without benefit to clinical outcomes in order to address under-provision of care.
Realistic Medicine is not about failing to offer treatments. It is about supporting people using healthcare services, and their families, to feel empowered to discuss their treatment.
To practise Realistic Medicine, we must embrace the best international evidence, employ sound clinical judgment and support empowerment by listening to what matters most to patients. We need to make more effective use of knowledge and skills across the multi-professional knowledge base, and foster the conditions to support innovation in care delivery.
October 19, 2021
The National Demand Optimisation Group (NDOG) has presented their Phase IV Report, which was published on the Scottish Government website on 11 October 2021. The Scottish Government has funded the National Demand Optimisation Group (NDOG) since its establishment in 2016, under the auspices of the Healthcare Science National Delivery Plan (NDP). The objective of the…
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August 17, 2021
On 29th July, the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Gregor Smith, hosted a conversation between two senior leaders at NASA, Dr JD Polk, Chief Health and Medical Officer, and Nigel Packham, Ph.D, Associate Director of Safety and Mission Assurance. The session focused on what they have learned over the course of their careers about compassionate, effective…
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July 29, 2021
On 23 June 2021, representatives from Health Board Realistic Medicine Teams joined a networking session to share learning and discuss future priorities. A flash report has been created, to record the themes and feedback from this discussion. The next networking event is currently scheduled for 29 September.
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October 12, 2021
The pandemic created an understandable feeling of fear and uncertainty across NHS Scotland staff while all areas prepared for the unknown. NHSWI was no different to any other area in this regard. Being on an island chain the ability to meet had always been an issue both within primary care and across the primary/secondary care…
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July 1, 2021
As a key programme of work for Technology Enabled Care, we are committed to extending and expanding remote health assessments, monitoring and treatments for patients, and making it more convenient to access timely services. This will provide a wide choice of ‘digital first’ health experiences, for those that want it, across a range of digital…
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April 23, 2021
“Abandoned”, “isolated”, “alone” were just some of words shared by survivors and their families, following an episode of critical illness requiring intensive care. Not only did the patient not know the person they had become, families didn’t recognise the relative they brought home. These recovery stories were shared following attendance at our post-intensive care rehabilitation…
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