10 Reasons to Shop Around for a New Doctor
We will never find the perfect doctor, as they are all human and none of them are perfect. It comes as no surprise to most of us that they call their profession “the practice of medicine.” One of the leading causes of death and injury in the United States is medical mistakes.
It is calculated by the Institute of Medicine that medical errors actually kill anywhere from 44,000 to 90,000 people in U.S. hospitals each year. This figure is more than those who are killed by automobile accidents or those who succumb to breast cancer.
Whether you live with a chronic illness, or are generally healthy, you still need a physician. And despite the risk of errors that may occur, it is vital that you have a doctor who is a partner with you in your short and long-term treatment options.
Are there some distinct signals that you should actually not listen to your doctor’s advice, and that you should seek another opinion, or perhaps even switch physicians? Yes!
1. Your doctor is quick to offer advice before you have been able to fully describe your symptoms. He has difficulty waiting to speak and listening to the answers you provide to his questions. He quickly records his interpretation of what you’re saying before you have barely begun to explain your symptoms or situation.
2. Your doctor insists on prescribing medication that is newly on the market without explaining why you need it, how it will help, or how long you should take it. You can see a promotional item in his office for every drug he prescribes.
3. Your doctor seems to know much less about your condition that you do. Your appointments consist of you informing him about your condition’s progression or treatment ideas and him taking notes.
4. Your doctor doesn’t have confidence to treat you, rarely providing actual advice or instructions, but rather says, “What do you think we should do?” or “You do whatever you think is best.”
5. Your doctor is quick to order tests or procedures that could impact your current health or your chronic illness in a negative way. He forgets that intrusive procedures that may be minor for some people could cause set backs in your illness. The best physician always keeps your whole body and condition in mind, not just the part he specializes in.
6. Your doctor seems to humor you, looks at you as if he doubts your symptoms, and smiles and writes notes. You feel like he is being condescending rather than a part of your medical team.
7. Your doctor refuses to let you see the medical records he has on you and your condition. If you request them he says he will send them to another physician, but he seems to go out of his way to make sure you don’t personally receive them. At some point you may apply for disability financial support and the social security disability review doctors will want to review your medical history. It is important the records are accurate.
8. Your doctor is never accessible when you need him the most. On the rare occasion when you have an emergency he is unable to provide you with an appointment promptly. Your prescriptions are not refilled when requested. He rarely has his office return your calls and he is unable to be reached for hours even when he is paged for an urgent situation.
9. Your doctor does not believe you are in the amount of pain you claim you are in. He seems leery about prescribing you with pain medication, despite the severity of the pain, and your proven responsibility with medications.
10. Your doctor seems to appear threatened or annoyed when you wish to get a second opinion or see a different kind of specialist. He does not comply when you ask him to fax his notes to another physician who should be in the loop of your treatment. He seems to think he is the only one who can meet your medical needs.
A good doctor will listen to you as much as possible, take good notes, explain medications, and make you feel like you are part of your medical team in treating any conditions or symptoms you may have.
We may never find the perfect doctor, and it may take a while to find someone who is a good match for both our medical condition and our personality. But don’t allow your health to be risked just because you are too afraid to speak out and be assertive about your health care needs.
