Clinical Inertia
Introduction
Clinical inertia is a well-recognized barrier to improving patient care and clinical outcomes.
- It is defined as the failure to initiate or intensify therapy when treatment goals are not met.
Causes of Clinical Inertia
The causes of clinical inertia are multifactorial and complex, encompassing various factors, such as
- Overestimation of care provided
- Lack of knowledge or awareness of treatment guidelines
- Fear of side effects
- Concerns about cost
- Belief that the patient is not ready for complex treatment
- Lack of time or resources
Overcoming Clinical Inertia
To effectively address clinical inertia, a collaborative effort among healthcare providers, healthcare systems and patients themselves is required.
- Continuous medication education for healthcare providers on new drugs and updated treatment guidelines.
- Improved communication and shared decision-making between healthcare providers, patients and multidisciplinary teams.
- Implementation of strategies that optimize workflow efficiency.
- Enhancing adherence to therapies through reminder systems and mobile applications.
Summary
When discussing clinical inertia, overtreatment (usually of elderly people) and "failure to de-intensify therapy" should not be overlooked in the overall clinical management.
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