An overview of module 6   

This module has been designed to guide you through a series of tasks to improve personal health and well-being and in doing so, provide insights into the challenges that self-management techniques and lifestyle change can present to your patients. These tasks include to:

• assess your own lifestyle and well-being
• assess available information
• make changes that will assist you to have better life–work balance, improved lifestyle habits and maintain personal well-being
• use techniques on yourself that you may use with your patients or ask another health professional to use
• see what these changes ‘feel like’ for yourself
• reflect on what works well and where obstacles lie
• reflect on how this may work in dealing with the need to make changes in others
• recognise how changes in your own lifestyle habits may impact on how you empathise with your patients and what you tell them.

You will be asked to reflect on your own habits, consider what you may need to change and decide how you would do this using some of the self-management tools you may suggest to your patients. You may wish to keep a personal journal or diary as you work through this module.  

Introduction

The Canadian psychiatrist Erica Frank, notes that US doctors tend to live several years longer than the general community because they typically have good health habits.⁽¹⁾ For example, only about 4% of doctors in the US smoke,^(2,3) with similar figures reported for Australia and New Zealand.⁽⁴⁾ Doctors have relatively good diet and exercise habits but with room for improvement.

Importantly, doctors tend to preach what they themselves practise. Many studies have now shown that, starting with first year medical students, doctors with healthy personal habits are more likely to encourage their patients to adopt such habits.^(4,5) Thus doctors who eat less fat are more likely to test patients' cholesterol,^(4,6) those who exercise more are more likely to counsel their patients about exercise. Patients find doctors with healthier diet and exercise habits to be more believable and more successfully motivating in both diet and exercise⁽⁷⁾ – indeed this is one area where self-disclosure is highly motivating.

Dr Frank says: "So, while behavioural change is complex, it's clear that our personal actions as physicians, and the way that our actions help our patients make better choices, are a good place to start healing ourselves and our patients".

To get started, you can click on the following link and complete a short quiz from the ABC Health and Wellbeing website, to determine what motivates you to look after yourself. http://www.abc.net.au/health/quizzestools/quizzes/2007/12/20/2115581.htm

Reflective exercise

Use the series of questions below to guide you in reflecting on your own health and well-being. First download the Lifestyle Assessment Sheet to assist you in responding to this question.⁽⁹⁾

You have now assessed and considered your lifestyle and will know if it is a healthy one or not.

References

1. Frank E, Biola H, Burnett CA. Mortality rates and causes among US physicians. Am J Prev Med 2000;19:155–9.
2. Frank E, Brogan DJ et al. Health related behaviors of women physicians versus other women in the United States. Arch Intern Med 1998;158:342–8.
3. Frank E. STUDENTJAMA. Physician health and patient care. JAMA 2004;291:637.
4. Chapman S. Doctors who smoke. BMJ July 1995; 311;142–3.
5. Frank E, Elon E et al. Predictors of US medical students’ prevention counseling practices. Prev Med 2007;44:76–81.
6. Frank E, Rothenberg R et al. Correlates of physicians’ prevention related practices. Arch Fam Med 2000;9:359–67.
7. Frank E, Breyan J, Elon L. Physician disclosure of healthy personal behaviors improves credibility and ability to motivate. Arch Fam Med 2000;9:287–90.
8. Tennant R, Hiller L, Fishwick R et al. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS): development and UK validation. Health Qual Life Outcomes 2007;5:63.
9. Douglas MC, Wilson DC. Lifestyle Assessment: Development and Use of the FANTASTIC Checklist. Can Fam Physician 1984;30:1527–32.