Compliance & Threats

Currently I am in Clinical Neuroscience. We are being lectured to about sleep disorders, specifically sleep apnea. The guest lecturer appears to be in the range of 40-60 years of age.

Concerning sleep apnea, there is a fairly successful treatment: continuous positive airway therapy (CPAP). Unfortunately, compliance with CPAP is pretty low. Only 46% of patients use the therapy, and of these persons, only 70% use it on a regular basis.

The lecturer urged us to tell our patients: "You're going to die in the most horrific way imaginable then list all the complications of uncontrolled sleep apnea."

This was one of my major complaints for my previous endocrinologist: vague threats. I can understand why doctors would want to do this--it is really frustrating when you're trying to help someone when they're not trying to help themselves. But I wonder if there isn't a better way to tell someone that they're killing themselves. Would this involve asking them about their life goals and how non-compliance will negatively affect these goals? I think it does.

Regardless,

I suppose doctors are among the few people that can tell you--in disturbing and exact details--how you're going to die without you freaking out and calling the cops.