Therapeutic inertia
Therapeutic inertia
Therapeutic inertia (pronunciation: /θɛrəˈpjuːtɪk ɪnˈɜːrʃə/) is a term used in the field of medicine to describe the phenomenon where healthcare providers fail to initiate or intensify therapy when indicated. This can lead to suboptimal patient outcomes, particularly in chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and asthma.
Etymology
The term "therapeutic inertia" is derived from the Greek word "therapeia" meaning healing, and the Latin word "inertia" meaning inactivity or lethargy. It was first used in medical literature in the early 21st century to describe the lack of treatment escalation in chronic disease management.
Definition
Therapeutic inertia is defined as the failure of health care providers to initiate or intensify therapy when indicated. This can occur due to a variety of reasons including lack of knowledge, fear of side effects, patient resistance, or system-level barriers. It is a significant contributor to poor control of chronic diseases and can lead to increased morbidity and mortality.
Related Terms
- Clinical inertia: A broader term that includes therapeutic inertia but also encompasses failure to de-escalate therapy when indicated, and failure to follow evidence-based guidelines.
- Treatment escalation: The process of increasing the intensity or frequency of therapy in response to suboptimal control of a disease.
- De-escalation of therapy: The process of reducing the intensity or frequency of therapy in response to adequate control of a disease or the occurrence of side effects.
Impact
Therapeutic inertia can have significant impacts on patient outcomes. It can lead to poor control of chronic diseases, increased hospitalizations, and higher healthcare costs. It is therefore important for healthcare providers to recognize and address therapeutic inertia in their practice.
Strategies to Overcome Therapeutic Inertia
Several strategies have been proposed to overcome therapeutic inertia. These include improving provider education, using decision support tools, involving patients in decision making, and implementing system-level changes to facilitate treatment escalation and de-escalation.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Therapeutic inertia
- Wikipedia's article - Therapeutic inertia
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski