Patients and Doctors Can Improve Outcomes

I do not believe that placing information-gathering systems in doctors’ offices or clinics will make a significant improvement in patient care (Commentary, June 26). Improvement at a much lower cost occurs when patients assume personal responsibility for their own health. When patients follow their physicians’ advice to lose weight, exercise, stop smoking, drink alcohol only in moderation, not use illicit drugs, wear seat belts, avoid unprotected sex, take prescribed medication as directed and keep their appointments for follow-up and preventive care, then and only then will the health of this nation’s population improve. Until this happens, information-gathering systems will be only that.

Vincent J. Carollo MD

Upland

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Re “Doctors Often Ignore Treatment Guidelines, Study Finds,” June 26: If doctors truly seek to comply with the Hippocratic oath’s mandate of “doing no harm” to their patients, then they must set proper standards of practice and rigorously enforce them -- themselves. Doing so would help mend the growing rift between patients and doctors while reducing the profession’s self-inflicted exposure to malpractice suits.

Carolyn G. McGovern-Bowen

Westlake Village