There's an article on foxnews.com called "What your doctor is thinking (but would never tell you)"
FOXNews.com - What Your Doctor's Thinking (But Would Never Tell You) - Health News Current Health News Medical News
Ya know, we patients do plenty of complaining about the health care providers we see. Some of it's deserved, some of it is just human nature to complain.
This gives some insight to a doctor's thinking and the challenges he/she faces in their work. I work with health care providers and professionals quite often, but I've never put some of these things together. Like, I've been through unnecessary tests. My initial thought is, "The doc is doing this to earn more money from me and my insurance." Yet, due to lawsuits, one of these docs says he orders unnecessary tests because he simply cannot let anything slip through the cracks for fear of being sued.
So many in the public need the good talking to that some docs want to give. Really, who can blame the docs for their frustration? See a patient two or three times per year for Type 2 diabetes and yet they keep gaining weight? That's gotta make the average doc want to pull his hair out! And how do you bridge that conflict with the patient?
Most doctors, as the article says, take the path of least resistance-tell the patient something kind, supportive and helpful...knowing full well the next time they're in, it'll probably be worse, not better.
What are we to learn from this article? First, that docs are people, too. Second, that patients (yes, us) need to take more responsibility for ourselves. Third, a bit of compassion for the physician who is doing the best he/she can.
(http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,388822,00.html)
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