Realistic Medicine: Survey Highlights

Conclusion

These survey results demonstrate just how far we have come in supporting you to practise Realistic Medicine, however, there is clearly more to do. There remains a pressing need to do things differently if we are to address the challenges our system is facing and improve the lives of the people we care for. There remains unwarranted and potentially harmful variation and waste within the services that we provide. Wasteful care is poor care.

Your message is clear: practising Realistic Medicine brings huge benefits. You want to be supported to be able to practise it and help address these challenges.

Realistic Medicine

We can:

Change our style to make shared decision making

Build a personalised approach to care

Reduce harm and waste

Tackle unwarranted variation in practice and outcomes

Manage risk better

Become improvers and innovators

I firmly believe that by practising Realistic Medicine we can find ways to achieve the outcomes that matter most to the people we care for. It is about making evidence based choices about how we use the resources we have at our disposal. It is about listening to and supporting people to make informed choices about the care that is right for them.

I am grateful to all of you who took part in this survey and to those of you who continue to practise and support others to practise Realistic Medicine.

Whether you are a system leader, clinician, Allied Health Professional, carer, finance professional, pharmacist or social care professional – no matter your role, you can help build a more equitable and sustainable health and care system by practising Realistic Medicine and deliver careful and kind care, that people value.

I ask you, regardless of where you work or your profession, to consider the findings and reflections on this survey and take steps to make sure that you and your colleagues are fully supported to practise Realistic Medicine. It is what the people we care for want and deserve.

Professor Sir Gregor Smith

Chief Medical Officer for Scotland