title: Common patient symptoms: patterns of self-treatment and prevention.
abstract: Self treatment is a common and often necessary part of health care. Factors influencing self-treatment include patient satisfaction, cost, educational level, socio-economic factors, age, and gender. In this article, patients' choices of self-treatment are reviewed; the benefits and risks of self-treatment are discussed. One benefit may be decreased health care cost. Risks include drug interactions between prescription and non-prescription drugs. Physicians should be aware that the majority of illness is treated outside the formal health care system. Education is needed to help patients discern whether self-treatment or medical consultation is appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Habeeb
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Gearhart
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012306:Risk; D012648:Self Care / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D012651:Self Medication; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors