Follow-up vs support group?

The only thing that saved me was the ancient Step 1 adage: "Never refer!"

Especially when the answer to another question in the same exam was "Encourage the patient to participate in a support group for persons with her condition"

I mean REALLY! The only difference is that they used the word "encourage" instead of refer. Exact same answer.

While solving Ethics questions, you answer them not as some doctor, but as if some saint. It's not:

• A. Understanding of a disease doesn't necessarily ensure adherence.


• B. We typically avoid family/friend involvement in patient care.


• C. NEVER negatively reinforce!


• D. Follow ups seem to be the go to option in almost every ethics question. It helps in rapport building, patient-physician relationship, understanding the patients concerns better and direct monitoring of his/her condition.


• E. You the saint!!! You do the good thing here, an empathetic, humble, honest, overly caring doctor. Please leave practicality out of at your doorsteps while solving ethic questions.

Note : In another question from the same form, we have "refer" in the answer, so refering in itself isn't wrong unless you make sure that the question stem states that you DIRECTLY dealt with and understood all of your "childs" concerns.

In the Kaplan's behavioral science lecture note, they stablish that as a physician, we should foster patient adherence by: - Attend to the amount of imformation; explain its complexity. - Note the patient's affective state. - Explain why a particular treatment is being recommended. - Stress the threat of non-adherence to health. - Stress the effectiveness of the prescribed regimen; give instructions both orally and in writing. - Arrange periodic follow-up visits. - Ask the patient to do less; a long list of instruction is detrimental to adherence.