“Just take your medicines and lose weight”: importance of an integrated care perspective in doctor–patient interactions in the case of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

Purpose For lifestyle disorders like PCOS, health professionals play an essential role in the patient's compliance with the treatment and their well-being. However, there is little data exploring the qualitative experiences that women with PCOS in India have with respect to their clinical encounters. This paper attempts to fill this gap. Design/methodology/approach The study includes 15 women diagnosed with PCOS and seeking treatment in the Government Yoga and Naturopathy Medical College & Hospital in the south Indian city of Chennai. Data was collected using -depth interviews and was analyzed using the six-phase thematic analysis approach as the frame of reference. Findings Women reported that during clinical consultations, doctors primarily focus on prescribing medicines, followed by advice about lifestyle modifications such as weight reduction. Yet, women experienced several challenges in making these lifestyle changes, which went unnoticed by the doctors, due to doctors' emphasis on prescriptive communication rather than listening. Originality/value This paper highlights how the conventional paternalistic doctor–patient relationship is not enough to bring lifestyle changes in patients and hence needs to be replaced by a holistic multidisciplinary perspective guided by the principles of integrated care to effectively deal with a lifestyle disorder like PCOS.