Why patients are becoming disillusioned with healthcare
Quotes recent patients have heard from their doctors:
"Here's your list of symptoms, now we have to figure out a way to get rid of them"
How about some focus on why they are present? Unfortunately, we come out of medical school armed with tools for managing disease, and very little, if any, knowledge in prevention and health. So when we see patients and our whole focus is symptom elimination, it's much quicker to write prescriptions than search for answers.
"Stress and diet have absolutely nothing to do with your irritable bowel and colitis"
Really? Can it be true that the only way to have an impact on your illness is to take prescriptions? Why not let the patient play a role in their condition and overall health? One of the problems is that even if he admitted it played a role, he's likely not equipped to have the conversation on how to go about helping. As providers, we need to realize it's okay to say you don't know, just have the compassion to empathize and knowledge to recommend some providers who do.
"You should take this antidepressant, I do"
Evidence-based medicine at its pinnacle. This is the same doctor that tells their patients fish oil has no evidence, yet the American Psychiatric Association has an entire omega-3 paper covering their recommendations for fish in mental health.
Fed up with the person that supposed to be your partner in health? Does it feel more like a general and army recruit relationship? There are good doctor's out there. You just have to spend some time looking. Make sure you find one that listens, that empathizes, and that has some commitment to looking for root issues.
Have a frustrating quote from your doctor? Share it in the comments section...
Contributed by:
Dr. Jeffrey Gladd
Owner
Dr. Jeffrey Gladd graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine in 2001. He then went on to train in family medicine...
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