Why the breakdown in relationship between doctor and patient?

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BonosSaint

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I've noticed in the past few decades a breakdown in the relationship between patient and doctor (generalized statement. I know there are many good doctor/patient relationships.) Because of insurance, actual malpractice, malpractice litigation abuse, there are many good reasons for this. But it seems to me there are a lot less doctors willing to listen to the patient, less willing to go the extra mile to find out what is wrong with their patients, they kind of go through the motions as to what the most common ailment should be and if the patient doesn't have that, they just shrug their shoulders. I've seen doctors reluctant to let you get a second opinion just because they are afraid of losing the revenue, doctors who just prescribe a treatment without informing the patient verbally of common potential effects of that treatment that might cause the patient to seek out another treatment. For all the information available on the net, etc., there seems to be much less real communication between doctor and patient. I've seen doctors refuse to continue to prescribe a medication the person has been told they would have to be on for the rest of their lives and refuse to sit with the patient to discuss the reasons or to discuss alternatives. Maybe these are isolated cases, but since I've seen it so often in my small little area of the world, I do not think they are isolated.

I was spoiled. My father was one of the last breed of housecall doctors. His theory was that if it was an emergency to the patient, who was he to say it was not an emergency? At worst, he wasted a little time. But he would take the extra time to ask a lot of questions, because sometimes that little question a patient didn't think was important gave the clue to the diagnosis. He respected the patient's ability to know his/her own body and know when something was off, whether or not the first round of tests found anything. Many doctors today do not seem to respect their patients or really to care. I think that is dangerous to the patient. I think there is more actual malpractice nowadays than there was.
 
My Dr. has given me his home phone#. We have enjoyed going out to dinner and the movies together with our families. He has seen me without an appointment because he knows I hate to miss work just to get my sorry ass to the Dr.'s office. Much like your father he listen's too me very carefully, and has taken what I feel about things going on with my body into account for diagnosis.

Apparently, his secretary never seems to think I am sick, much like the ER Drs last year assuring me that I was not in enough pain to have a kidney stone. I have a pretty HIGH tolorence for pain so people never think I am sick. HE listens to me and even though people think nothing is wrong with me, I have been right on the money pretty much all the time.

My Dr. has volunteered his time to help my Lion's Clubn provide free Blood Pressure, Eye Tests, and Hearing tests twice a year on his days off.

But, I live in a RURAL town and my experience in other towns with other Dr's has been different.
 
For awhile there, people were in awe of the doctor's knowledge, because they were in awe of modern medicine. They thought doctors could heal everything. They had "miracle" drugs like penicillin that saved lives and painkillers that made painful diseases easier to take. Then things changed, the public started to respect doctors less. Some of it was the high cost of health care, which some blamed at least partially on doctors. It's a complex situation, but you're right, things have certainly changed.
 
I agree there is a problem with Dr./ patient relationships. It seems to me they are all concerned about making the big bucks and covering their ass. My mom has some problems and she has now seen 4 doctors and none of them seem to know what to do to solve the problem. They just want to pump her full of meds which are making her even more sick.
We are in the process of seeing another so I hope he will be more competent.
I think they must have lowered the standards to get in and out of med. school.
 
I blame some of it on rising education levels of many patients, along with the fairly dismissive attitude they have for alternative medicine, for the most part.

I'll be the first to tell you that most doctors hate the fact that I have suggestions for what's wrong with me. They'd rather go through months of tests with trial and error, just so they can say that they were "right."

Melon
 
I have an amazing Dr who is an MD and a homeopath. Not only that when I go to see him we talk about my life (which relates to your physical body). He has said to me that it is hard for him to find a Dr. and when I mentioned a specialist I had seen he asked "Is he a nice person?" The implication was that Dr's are so focused on the scientific aspect of medicine that they don't even deal with the person.
 
i blame the intense competition to get into medical school, and the criteria that medical schools choose to use -- GPA's, MCAT scores, etc. there's a tendency to churn out scientists as opposed to healers. my father's a doctor, and he majored in Religion. i think that's a good thing.
 
nbcrusader said:
I blame the lawyers.

Medicine is not a perfect science, and it sucks to be second guessed by an attorney.

I'm sure Michael Shiavo would agree. :wink:

Melon
 
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