As indicated, the health team is made up of doctors, nurses, other allied health personnel and the client/family
It is easy for one to regard health professionals as those who constitute the healthcare team; but did you know that one of the most important members of the healthcare team is the patient or family?
The patient’s family serves as the first point of contact where vital information is received by other members of the health team, such as, doctors and nurses to plan holistic care; especially if the patient, per his or her health condition is unable to provide useful information or take decisions regarding care.
In my view, the patient’s family can be considered the first member of the health team, even before others like doctor or nurse. This is because even before they go to any health facility, some might have attempted to provide treatment, especially in Ghana where self-medication or abuse of herbal drugs is common.
What is the situation at hand in Ghana regarding patients and family as care team members? In all honesty, largely, the patient and family are excluded as team members and this is done consciously or unconsciously. They do it best with the help of ignorance on the part of the patient and the family.
Also, family members scarcely receive adequate information on the health condition and the choice of treatment given loved ones in our health facilities. They are mostly relegated to paying medical bills and all other expenses.
Long before organized health care service delivery, patients have always been in existence and folks have their own ways of taking care of the sick. So, today if we have well organized and established healthcare system manned by highly educated, skillful professionals, it is no exaggeration to say that the health system including all of its workers are redundant without the patient.
Clients should be adequately informed about health state and the treatment options available to help meet their physical and psychological health needs.
As indicated earlier, most patients who visit health facilities for care are often timid and find it difficult to ask questions to clear doubts. A lot of them look on passively while being treated by the doctor or nurse like, excuse me to say, a damaged car brought to the mechanic to be fixed.
That is why it is not a surprise to see many of them, especially those with chronic health conditions such as Diabetes and Hypertension lack proper understanding on these chronic conditions they have been living with for years. In conclusion, patients or clients should never be treated like ‘just something’ to work on or fix. They should be regarded active members of the healthcare team and be allowed or assisted to play active roles in their own care as much as possible.
