Generalized fears about taking medications are common among patients, according to a new study issued by Verilogue exploring the actual fears and concerns patients most frequently discuss in their doctors’ offices and how doctors respond to them. The review of 23,923 naturally occurring patient-doctor interactions across 14 specialties during the course of 18 months found that one of every four physician office visits includes a discussion about a patient fear.
Fear conversations arose around three main themes: diseases/illnesses, medicine side effects,and life/social concerns. Fear discussions were most likely to occur in psychiatric, cardiologist,and neurologist visits and least likely to occur in allergist and dermatologist visits.
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