Diagnosis and therapeutic goals. What are you actually treating?
BACKGROUND
Bad prescribing frequently involves writing a prescription for a symptom or a diagnosis and not considering the other steps in the prescribing process.


OBJECTIVE
To illustrate the process of therapeutic goals.


CONCLUSIONS
Therapeutic goals are the answer to the patient's question: 'Why am I taking this medication?' Taking this step in the prescribing process allows for a greater consideration of available treatment options, greater individualisation of therapy, avoids treatment on the basis of surrogate endopoints, and may result in greater patient concordance.
Shakib
Sepehr
S
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia. sshakib@mail.rah.sa.gov.au
George
Alison
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D004358:Drug Therapy; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010358:Patient Participation
D015415:Biomarkers