Patients are consumers. We have the ability and obligation to be choosy when picking which doctors to give our money to. Being consumers, we also have the ability to control, in part, what the medical community provides for health care.
Before I go on, let me just say that I DO understand our options are limited by the insurance industry. Unless you have the financial ability to pay for private insurance or pay for appointments yourself, it is more difficult to feel as though you can be selective in who you choose to provide your medical care. Don't fret! There ARE plenty of wonderful doctors who are worthy of your money (or your insurance companies money), you just have to look harder.
Sadly, though, many of our best doctors are beginning to opt out of the insurance companies steel grip over the health care system and you do have to pay out of pocket, or best case scenario, a higher copay to receive their services.
This blog isn't about the insurance industry, instead it's about choosing who is your partner when making decisions about your health.
When it comes to your health, YOU are the final say in your medical decisions. That's right, your doctor is there to provide options, make suggestions, and refer you to specialists. In the end, the decision is YOURS and yours alone.
Nobody knows your body better then YOU!
Before I go further, let me give you some inside information.
A friend of mine is a highly credentialed medical specialist in a major metropolitan hospital. He/She told me once that in medical school doctors are trained to do two things: prescribe medicine and do surgeries. When they leave medical school they have exorbitant bills to pay off. In order to pay off their student debt they do what makes them the most money, prescribing pills and doing surgeries. I am just repeating information given to me by someone disillusioned by his/her own field. I have no first hand knowledge of this. I do have another doctor who did confirm this to be true by telling me that there is little he/she could do as far as investigative medicine. He/She said that she is able to prescribe meds to help relieve symptoms but that is about all.
Both of the above, unnamed doctors had one more piece of insight. Don't settle for being given medication to treat symptoms. To truly get well you need to find the root cause of those symptoms. Many of the diagnosis's out there today are simply a name for a list of symptoms that have no explained cause. Patients sit at home waiting for research to happen to find out what is causing the symptoms. News Flash! Research is being done, but not on the cause of the symptoms as much as on what medicines will HELP RELIEVE the symptoms. Our pharmaceutical industry has a heavy hand in politics and research. People who are cured DON'T BUY MEDICINE.
Ok, I'm getting of topic. Before you write me of as some loony, let's get back to discussing how to be a consumer in the health care system.
First, many doctor's hate when patients do their own research. Doctor Google is creating many hypochondriacs apparently. Let me ask you this, when you buy a car, how much research do you do? Is it better to go into the salesmen armed with information or better just to trust the salesmen blindly and accept their price and their information on the vehicle? If you do research on a major purchase like a car, isn't it even more important to do research on your own health?
Doctor's don't know it all. It's impossible for them to! If your doctor thinks they have the answer to everything, or if they think that if they can't find an answer then there mustn't be one, it's time to find a new doctor.
So, when you are doing research, be wise in evaluating what you read. First, the most important thing to know is where the information you are reading is coming from. An easy beginner tip is to look at the domain of the site you are getting your information from. If it is .edu, .gov, or .org then you are on the right track. Where this blog isn't about researching I would suggest researching how to research on the web!
When you go to an appointment, don't assume you have all the answers either. You are hiring your doctor as a professional because they have the medical degree and experience, not you! What you should expect is that your doctor be willing to listen to your questions and concerns and if they don't know the answer, or don't agree with your information that they be willing to say so and also be willing to go research for themselves and get back to you. Even more importantly, your doctor should be willing to admit if they are wrong. Yes, there are doctors who do this! Crazy, I know!
Also, your doctor should be not only willing, but should encourage you to shop around! If they are good at what they do then they will be confident in you to make the right choice for YOU! In the martial arts school we own I encourage seekers to look at all their options for martial arts in the area. I am confident we provide an excellent program and if someone chooses to go somewhere else then they wouldn't fit into our program anyway and they are better of staying at the program of their choosing. The medical profession is no different.
If your doctor bashes on other medical professionals of any capacity, no matter if their degree or specialty is the same or different, it's time to get a new doctor. Now. Don't waste your time any further where you are at.
If you are seeing another type of medical professional such as a naturopath or chiropractor, your doctor should be willing to work collaboratively with them. If you feel resistance with no valid reason, move on to the next doctor.
Bottom line, YOU not THEM are in the drivers seat. You are hiring them for their expertise, but in the end all decisions for your treatment are yours. The doctor you choose should understand this.
When we complain what is wrong with the medical community don't forget that we have choices. If we take our dollars to the right doctors, then the rest of the medical practitioners will have to change course if they plan on staying in business.
If you are reading this and are truly limited in your options then there is one more thing to do. Know your body, know the most update information that is available, and keep bringing it to your doctor. If enough patients do this then eventually even your doctor will start to listen. Please, before you follow this advice, be well informed with accurate information, be calm and professional in your conversation, and be polite and respectful to your provider because they did work hard to get through medical school and they do deserve the respect that is due for that accomplishment. If you are negative, or come across as attacking them or their career, they will naturally become defensive and not be open to the information you have. If you want to be taken seriously, then you do have to take them seriously!
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