Is Your Relationship With Your Doctor Terminal?
October 30, 2018 by Staff
Filed under Health, Weekly Columns
(Akiit.com) Trust me; I’m a doctor.
Physicians are some of the most respected professionals in the world. At the mere hint of the word “doctor,” most people will suddenly be struck by stars, which is handy because there is a GP on call. For patients, this means most men and women listen to what the expert has to say and the follows their advice. For others, it implies blindly following them regardless.
Trusting a practitioner is one thing, yet it’s important not to treat them as gods. They are human beings, and as a result, they make mistakes. With that in mind, here are the times when it’s time to cut ties with your doc.
Reputation
A reputation is everything in this field, and your doctor has a few dodgy skeletons in the closet. Some might say it’s an occupational hazard of having a PhD, which is right in many ways. Anybody who cuts people open for a living is going to deal with death on a regular basis. Still, there’s a difference between trying to help a patient recover and negligent care. The latter is dangerous and results in health issues which are avoidable, so it’s vital to take their standing in the industry into account. You might want to pull a few records to gain a better understanding.
Bedside Manner
A terminal relationship with your doctor might have nothing to do with their medical skills. Their ability to do their job might be unquestioned, but you still want a fresh start. Why? It’s because of their bedside manner. Yes, they are on point with their diagnoses and your health is in good shape yet you hate speaking to them. And, it’s not because they might have bad news; it’s down to the fact they’re a jackass. A doctor and patient should have a relationship, which doesn’t mean they order you around.
Punctuality
“Come in on Wednesday morning and I’ll have your results.” There you are, on time, and low and behold, the physician is nowhere to be seen. Then, thirty minutes later, he/she calls you in and gets right to the point without an apology. If this happens once, it’s easy to put it down to a misjudgment, but twice is a blatant disregard for your time. Getting out of the office during the week isn’t an easy feat, not when the boss is on the warpath. So, your doc should be somebody that is punctual and understands you have a life outside of the waiting room.
Closed Off
Some doctors treat their patients like mushrooms: feed them crap and keep them in the dark. Granted, you might not understand why they prescribe treatment but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a right to know. At least it’s easier to follow through and stick to their advice with an explanation. Recovering from an illness, any type is a learning process and the doctor is the teacher in charge.
Does anyone want an instructor who dictates to them without offering the reasons?
Staff Writer; Calvin Brown