Realistic Medicine and Value Based Health and Care Casebook

Conclusion

It can take time to practise Realistic Medicine, and shared decision making can sometimes be difficult given the challenges we continue to face. However, given the urgent need to renew health and care services, the status quo – doing things as they have always been done – is no longer an option.

The case studies in this Casebook clearly demonstrate the positive difference that practising Realistic Medicine is making to the outcomes and the lives of the people we care for. By personalising our approach to care and by sharing decisions we are understanding and focusing on achieving the outcomes that matter to people. Realistic Medicine is also helping to optimise the use of health and care resources which will help to create the more sustainable system we all wish to see.

While this Casebook contains only a snapshot of all the good work happening across Scotland, it is extremely encouraging to see so many health and care professionals embrace the principles of Realistic Medicine. It also speaks to the pride and joy you are experiencing from practising in this way, with a newly reinvigorated connection to what it means to be a health and care professional – our purpose, how we should practise, and how we can deliver better outcomes for the people we care for.

We have been inspired by stories that teams across Scotland have been willing to share with us. We should celebrate their success. Please share them with colleagues and friends, patients and carers, and the leaders of the organisations in which you work.

We would be delighted if you would share your own case studies with the Realistic Medicine team with a view to including them in future editions. There can be no doubt that as it grows, the Casebook will become an invaluable tool in demonstrating the impact Realistic Medicine is having on outcomes and the positive difference it is making across all professions and care settings in Scotland.