Patient perspectives on provider Competence: A view from the depression and bipolar support alliance

Abstract

Health care providers want the very best for the patients they treat, and spend years studying treatment and keeping their medical knowledge current. But how providers put this knowledge into practice, more often than not, has a greater impact on outcomes than the knowledge itself. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is a national patient-directed advocacy organization. Our mission is to improve the lives of people living with depression and bipolar disorder. DBSA is committed to empowering patients and their loved ones to become partners with their health care providers. This empowerment is achieved through education, improved communication, and setting wellness goals agreed upon by both health care provider and patient. In 2003, more than four million people, including patients, their loved ones, and providers asked for help from DBSA. The challenges these people struggled with revealed some basic but significant factors that are crucial to recovery for all people receiving mental health care. For optimum recovery, three factors must be in place: communication that is clear, thorough, and collaborative; treatment plans that include patient input, preferences, and needs; and recovery-oriented treatment that instills hope.