The appearance of the typical patient in the 21st Century departs significantly from that of the average patient in the 20th Century. These days, many patients visit their medical providers armed with diagnosis and treatment options in one hand, and pricing information kept secret for years in the other--most of which is information obtained from a slew of sources on the internet. Individuals from all ends of the spectrum have come together to discuss the pros and cons of these "brainsuckers" (a phrase coined by Dr. Scott Haig for those patients who research their symptoms). By all accounts, it seems that the United States Congress will take the opportunity to chime in on the debate, too.
An article published by American Medical News entitled "Bill Aimed to Improve Health Literacy," caught my attention today because it discussed legislation introduced in the United States Senate directed to further educate consumers about their health. S.2424 aims "to ensure that all Americans have basic health literacy skills to function effectively as patients and health care consumers."
According to American Medical News, the legislation, if passed, "would establish a health literacy implementation center to gather and disperse information and to devise national improvement strategies." The center would be charged with the development of a health literacy curriculum for elementary and secondary schools, colleges and adult education programs. According to the article, the American Medical Association backs the legislation.
I'm generally a proponent of the educated consumer and believe that there could be far-reaching benefits to the legislation. Given the lively debate on these issues, however, I'd be interested in hearing the opinions of others who disagree.
