I think my doctor is trying to kill me!
By The Horse
@TheHorse (221647)
Walnut Creek, California
October 19, 2015 1:38pm CST
Or: Are doctors getting worse in terms of "bedside manner" where you live?
Many years ago, I had a wonderful general practitioner as my doctor. She treated me like an intelligent human being, and shared her problem-solving ideas with me. She helped me manage lower back pain, and correctly diagnosed my torn ACL (from a collision with another player during a City League softball game) when a so-called specialist failed to do so.
When she retired, I was stuck with a guy who made me feel like he couldn't care if I lived or died. I "fired" him and wound up with another person who makes me feel about the same.
Is there a general trend for doctors not to really care about their patients? Or have I just had a string of bad luck?
18 people like this
17 responses
@peavey (16936)
• United States
19 Oct 15
I would like to think that it's just bad luck, but my experience says differently. I had to go to a dermatologist recently and I felt like just a piece of flesh to them. I don't think he looked at my face at all.
My regular doctor is a little better, but all he knows how to do is read lab tests and write prescriptions. He's not interested in much of anything else.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (221647)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Oct 15
Sorry to hear that your recent experiences mirror mine. Maybe bedside manner should be a bigger part of medical training. A kindhearted human working with you reduces stress, which reduces cortisol, which is good for overall health!
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (161546)
• United States
20 Oct 15
I think you can find good ones, but if you do they are liable to be "out of network". I have lucked into some of the best over the years. I am lucky I have no insurance. The doctors then work hard at finding what will work for me quickly and without over prescribing.
2 people like this
@allknowing (138934)
• India
20 Oct 15
I miss our general practitioner. Now I have loads of them a lady doctor for female issues, a bone specialist, a physio therapist, an eye specialist, a dentist a dietician.....................
1 person likes this
@allknowing (138934)
• India
21 Oct 15
@TheHorse I have not seen any difference. It just happens that all these doctors I have are quite attentive.
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
20 Oct 15
You find those doctors here too. So disappointing. I stick to this one doctor that I've always been satisfied with. It costs a bit more but that's a lot better than paying less for a lousy consultation.
1 person likes this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
23 Oct 15
@TheHorse
I have a friend who would like to stop working but because her husands job offers no health insurance she can't stop working although it is so darn expensive. The first of the year she is going to check and see if the Obama health plan would be less or more or worth it or not for her to quit her job.
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15830)
• Manchester, England
21 Oct 15
I can only speak for the UK but things are pretty bad here. Most GPs are snowed under with patients who run to the doctor at the first tiniest hint of even the mildest illness. This has led to a culture of doctor's receptionists who do their utmost to keep patients away from the doctors. I'm the sort of person who only goes to the doctor if I have an illness that persists for more than a few days but more and more often I find it impossible to see a doctor because their appointment lists a full up with people with a sniffle that, in 99.99% of cases, will just go away after a couple of days!! One of the problems of a health service that is free at the point of use!!
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15830)
• Manchester, England
21 Oct 15
@TheHorse Just imagine what it's like when the healthcare is 'free' to everyone. We have a huge issue with overuse of Emergency Departments. A lot of people turn up there when they can't get a GP appointment as quickly as they'd like and in a lot of these cases they don't even need to visit a GP never mind and Emergency department!!
@TheHorse (221647)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Oct 15
I feel terrrible saying this, but in California, our Medi-Cal (subsidized medical care) patients (generally poor folks) overuse Emergency rooms for the sniffles. I'm not sure about those who use Kaiser and such. I don't visit the doctor for a cold.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
21 Oct 15
@thehorse what was the cause of your lower back pain? did you ask for a referral when your former doctor retired?
@BelleStarr (61101)
• United States
21 Oct 15
Yes and no, it is possible to find a good caring doctor but it also may take time. Ask some friends maybe someone has a suggestions.
@TheHorse (221647)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Oct 15
I am generally pretty healthy, so I don't have to deal with doctors that much. But when I do, I'd like to be treated like a human being. And a smart one at that. The photo is of my cute neighbor kid, trying on my back-up glasses and trying to look "intellectual," like me.
2 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
20 Oct 15
I think @TheHorse that's it all just come down to the money. The doctors are told by the insurance companies that if you want to see your money, you have to see 50 patients per day. That's another reason why if you have an 8am appointment, so do 5 others. My doctors know that if I walk into that office, they better set their butts down because I won't put up with the garbage.
@bluemonday (11)
• Mumbai, India
20 Oct 15
It is hard to find a good, kind , gentle doctor these days- one who genuinely cares about you. They are a dying breed.
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
20 Oct 15
I have had a few doctors that I have not found to be competent so I fired them and found another one. The one gerneral practice doctor I have now is very competent but one of the Specialist I go to I do not care for and won't go back to him so I will be looking for a new Specialist in that field.
@vathsala30 (3732)
• India
16 Dec 15
Everywhere some doctors are there who never bother about the patients.especially if they are new to the profession . Just they will do their duty mechanically not bothered about the condition of the patient. Some doctors really take interest and devote and dedicate themselves for their patients and they do not hesitate to call on their patients at the odd times if the condition is serious and struggle to save them at any cost.
