Accreditation practice pointer: patients receive information to support the diagnosis, treatment, and management of their conditions
C1.3 B Our patients receive information to support the diagnosis, treatment, and management of their conditions.
RACGP Standards for general practice
Clinicians must ensure their patients receive and understand information about the diagnosis, treatment, and management of their condition(s).
This can be achieved by:
checking the patient’s understanding about the intervention
checking the carer’s understanding of the intervention, if the patient has a carer
offering to discuss any issues about a patient’s condition, proposed treatment and medicines that could be confusing
directing patients to reliable health and medicine websites where they can find further information
recommending that patients seek further advice about their medicines from their pharmacist.
A GP must document in the patient’s health record the treatment options and associated risks and side effects that they have explained and discussed with the patient. Likewise, the GP must also document in the patient’s health record the patient’s refusal to obtain or follow any clinical advice.
GPs might also:
provide patients with information sheets and instructions about relevant health conditions, treatments and medicines
make available a range of health information sheets that are one to two pages long
have information relating to culturally specific health information (eg Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health) in the waiting room and consultation rooms
display posters containing information about specific diseases, such as diabetes and chicken pox.