Steven Keating Patient Education Summary

Steven Keating, a MIT student knew there was something wrong with his health when he began to smell phantom vinegar smells for around 30 seconds every day. He decided to take action, and he went in for an MRI. The scan showed an abnormality in his brain which had grown into a tumor. The tumor was so large and it had to be removed as soon as possible. After the surgery, he requested to have his genome sequenced and he also wanted the raw data from his scans. The fact that he was able to approach his own cancer in such an inquisitive way, inspired other scientists to get back into their labs and continue doing their extensive research on cancer. Because of Keating’s unique experience with his own health, he is now advocating for patients to have access to their own data and be able to learn from it. He believes that if patients are educated on their own medical diagnoses, they are able to heal better, because they will comprehend the processes which are malfunctioning in the body. There are however those who oppose Keating’s view on this matter, since such informal access to patient’s medical data can easily lead to the lack of patient privacy in their health matters. There are a few points which are very significant in this article. Firstly, there is a study which shows that patients who are better informed of their diagnoses are more likely to take better care of themselves. For example, a newly diagnosed diabetic who doesn’t know what diabetes is and the significance of taking insulin, is not as likely to take their medications on a strict regimen like a patient who knows what insulin is and what is does to their diabetic condition. As a matter of a fact, there was a study conducted concerning this, with a group of doctors who allowed their patients to have access to the notes which the physicians took about them. They followed this study for over a year, and two thirds of all the patients reported having a better understanding of their diagnoses and because of this, they were able to take their medications on a strict routine and adopt healthier habits. Another idea …show more content…
If patients are better educated on what the doctor is telling them, then they will take the doctors instructions more seriously. This is a crucial part of nursing and patient care. A nurse has to be there for patient education. The nurse’s aides can do almost as much as the nurse does with respect to the physical work. However, when it comes time to discharge a patient, the nurse is always called in to give the patient education. In this session, the nurse can either give the patient a few brief points about his diagnosis and instructions for taking medications, or the nurse can take a few extra minutes to make certain the patient knows why they are taking specific medications and how it will benefit them. These few minutes can make the difference between a nurse who cares that her patient will have the right mindset when going in for treatments, and a nurse who is running to give medications to another patient. If nurses will take the time to ensure that their patients have a proper understanding of their illness and the treatment process, there can be a great improvement in the recovery rate of