4 ms·

Maybe it is because doctors receive so much training or maybe because we are at our most vulnerable when we see them, but I think we lose sight of a few importa

Maybe it is because doctors receive so much training or maybe because we are at our most vulnerable when we see them, but I think we lose sight of a few important points when we talk about doctor-patient relationships versus other relationships -- * Doctors are human. Some will do extraordinary things. Some will make mistakes. Some will be assholes. Many will do all three at some point in their lives. * Medicine is a business. There are financial incentives pushing and pulling on the doctor's behavior. Not saying it dictates everything they do, but denying its existence is folly. Just remember, there is a financial transaction involved every time you interact whether you see it or not. * No one cares about your well being more than you and those that love you. Yes, doctors are well educated and, yes, they definitely want to heal you. But they aren't going to stay up all night researching your symptoms, the treatment options, the drug interactions. Your loved ones may start from a far less informed place, but they will give every thing they have to heal you. To them you are a best friend, a sibling, a child, a spouse. To doctors you are one patient out of dozens or hundreds. This backseat google-doctoring infuriates medical professionals, but it is unavoidable. This isn't a condemnation, it is just reality.

zo1 12y ago
"Some will be assholes." Agreed, I'm just glad I'm in a position where I can simply walk out on a doctor being an asshole to me. And then proceed to the next practice over. If enough people do that, things would be much better. Unfortunately, that's not always possible.
- xorcist 12y ago
  You can't do that when it would really matter. Because pain.
  - zo1 12y ago
    Of course, but when you're "in pain", or in a life-threatening situation... Time is more valuable than "politeness". At that point, I wouldn't care if I'm being treated by an asshole, or even Hitler himself.
- robk 12y ago
  This is the problem with socialized medicine. You don't really have the option and you're stuck with whatever doctor the system gives you.
  - VLM 12y ago
    Why? You're conflating a hyper authoritarian scheduling system with a vastly superior simple and cheap billing system. There is no particular reason both have to be implemented at the same time. Maybe its culturally popular but there's certainly no technical reason. I live in a former 1st world non-socialized medicine country and I have no option in where I go for medical care other than on a very meta level of which employer I work at and where I live ... in an emergency (heart attack, car accident) the ambulance drives me to the closest ER, there is no free market deciding which is "better". In a non-emergency, my cheap health insurance contracts with precisely one large medical chain in my area, so if I'm willing to do something like medical tourism and fly to another state I could select a new doc, but again no free market ...
    - underpantsgnome 12y ago
      > former 1st world non-socialized medicine country This is a painfully accurate description of the USA
  - DanBC 12y ago
    This is false for the UK. I can change my GP at any time, and I do not have to give a reason. When I go to my GP for a problem and she thinks I need a referral I then get a choice of 4 different doctors and I can book it online. You can always ask for second opinions. It's simply untrue to suggest that people don't have choice of doctors in England.
    - zo1 12y ago
      Do the doctor's get some sort of incentive (monetary, or otherwise) to get more patients? Because if they don't, then you can "change your GP" till your blue in the face, but they won't compete with one another at all to offer you better service/treatment. It's not about lack of choice. The choice represents the doctors' competition with one-another. Obviously, as I've pointed out, the choice also has to have meaningful repercussions for the doctor involved, otherwise it's not really the kind of choice that can make a difference.

zo1 12y ago

"Some will be assholes." Agreed, I'm just glad I'm in a position where I can simply walk out on a doctor being an asshole to me. And then proceed to the next practice over. If enough people do that, things would be much better. Unfortunately, that's not always possible.

xorcist 12y ago
You can't do that when it would really matter. Because pain.
- zo1 12y ago
  Of course, but when you're "in pain", or in a life-threatening situation... Time is more valuable than "politeness". At that point, I wouldn't care if I'm being treated by an asshole, or even Hitler himself.
robk 12y ago
This is the problem with socialized medicine. You don't really have the option and you're stuck with whatever doctor the system gives you.
- VLM 12y ago
  Why? You're conflating a hyper authoritarian scheduling system with a vastly superior simple and cheap billing system. There is no particular reason both have to be implemented at the same time. Maybe its culturally popular but there's certainly no technical reason. I live in a former 1st world non-socialized medicine country and I have no option in where I go for medical care other than on a very meta level of which employer I work at and where I live ... in an emergency (heart attack, car accident) the ambulance drives me to the closest ER, there is no free market deciding which is "better". In a non-emergency, my cheap health insurance contracts with precisely one large medical chain in my area, so if I'm willing to do something like medical tourism and fly to another state I could select a new doc, but again no free market ...
  - underpantsgnome 12y ago
    > former 1st world non-socialized medicine country This is a painfully accurate description of the USA
- DanBC 12y ago
  This is false for the UK. I can change my GP at any time, and I do not have to give a reason. When I go to my GP for a problem and she thinks I need a referral I then get a choice of 4 different doctors and I can book it online. You can always ask for second opinions. It's simply untrue to suggest that people don't have choice of doctors in England.
  - zo1 12y ago
    Do the doctor's get some sort of incentive (monetary, or otherwise) to get more patients? Because if they don't, then you can "change your GP" till your blue in the face, but they won't compete with one another at all to offer you better service/treatment. It's not about lack of choice. The choice represents the doctors' competition with one-another. Obviously, as I've pointed out, the choice also has to have meaningful repercussions for the doctor involved, otherwise it's not really the kind of choice that can make a difference.