Experiences with Doctors

[SomeRandomGuy]

In the thread on vaccinations there has been some debate about whether or not doctors are really looking out for the best interest of their patients, or simply doing what they are told. I thought it would be interesting to start a separate thread, where that can be discussed in more detail without side-tracking the vaccination discussion.

Lets hear some real life experiences. How many people have doctors who take the time to fully explain things to you and make sure you understand what is going on? How many have doctors who provide a list of possible treatments (whether that be surgical, medicinal, lifestyle changes or alternative treatments) and allow you to decide which you'd like to try? How many of you feel like your doctor truly cares about your well-being when you see them?

On the flipside, how many doctors just give you a very brief explanation (or just the name) of the issue you're facing? How many prescribe a medicinal and/or surgical treatment without talking to you about other options? How many of you feel that your doctor gives you any real input regarding treatment? How many feel that your doctor cares more about getting paid than actually helping you?

I think this should be an interesting discussion. I know that I am looking forward to hearing about experiences from different parts of the world. I expect there to be some eye opening information provided here.

[Infinte7]

Good post random, my aunt has lupes and she explained to me that she had an appointment with her doctor recently...She got there 15 minutes early and waited over 2 hours to see her physician for 15 minutes...There is more to the story, but I think that speaks for itself...

My wife, last year had pains in her lower stomach area, she went to the hospital...The first day a nurse thought is was hernia, so they kept her over night...She had to stay in the hospital for 3 days before she was even aloud to see her doctor...Finally on the 3rd day the doctor shows up, they run some tests and by this time the pain has gone away, he did not have a conclusion for us...

So he wrote her out about 4 prescriptions, 2 of which were like 200$ a piece...And these scripts were too help the pain for the tests they ran, because they had to stick that camera up her booty...

So she was even in more pain now from the procedure, then before she went to the hospital, and we could not afford to get all the scripts because the 3 day stay in the hospital maxed out our insurance...

Here is a little something to look into, I know it is an independent source but i trust independents that dont make whopping amounts of cash over the mainstream...

Doctors are a major cause of death in the United States

Notice: The amount of deaths considered to be non-error (negative effects of drugs)

[Infinte7]

Originally Posted by Infinte7

Good post random, my aunt has lupes and she explained to me that she had an appointment with her doctor recently...She got there 15 minutes early and waited over 2 hours to see her physician for 15 minutes...There is more to the story, but I think that speaks for itself...

My wife, last year had pains in her lower stomach area, she went to the hospital...The first day a nurse thought is was hernia, so they kept her over night...She had to stay in the hospital for 3 days before she was even aloud to see her doctor...Finally on the 3rd day the doctor shows up, they run some tests and by this time the pain has gone away, he did not have a conclusion for us...

So he wrote her out about 4 prescriptions, 2 of which were like 200$ a piece...And these scripts were too help the pain for the tests they ran, because they had to stick that camera up her booty...

So she was even in more pain now from the procedure, then before she went to the hospital, and we could not afford to get all the scripts because the 3 day stay in the hospital maxed out our insurance...

Here is a little something to look into, I know it is an independent source but i trust independents that dont make whopping amounts of cash over the mainstream...

Doctors are a major cause of death in the United States

Notice: The amount of deaths considered to be non-error (negative effects of drugs)

Reliable source, look her up: "The author of the article is Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health and she describes how the US health care system may contribute to medical mistakes and poor health."

This is a doctor saying this, how does she benefit financially, or in any way from saying these things...

[aelle]

Originally Posted by SomeRandomGuy

I think this should be an interesting discussion. I know that I am looking forward to hearing about experiences from different parts of the world. I expect there to be some eye opening information provided here.

I do think it depends very much on countries (dare I say on healthcare systems?) When I hear my American friends tell me how infrequently they go to the doctor, how fast the visit goes and how little they know each other, I am appalled.

I have been with my GP for 15 years now (at the time, my mother chose him). He knows my whole health history and that of my family, as well as my environment, my choices, my preferences in terms of treatment.

Of course having known me and my family for so long, even on a purely professional level, he cares. He always takes time to ask about my life, my plans for the future, my love life, my family, etc. He was apparently quite affected by my parents' separation earlier this year.

He gives great importance to the patient's choices. For instance I'm the one who brought up my choice in contraception and even though it's an atypical choice, he went with it, because it was my choice.
He is willing to reconsider his opinion if I bring scientific proof of mine - he has changed his opinion on veganism, which is taught to be deadly in med school here .
I regularly leave his office with several different prescriptions, either to give me time to think about my options without having to come back for a second consult, or to have treatment right away in case the disease evolves.

He always explains his opinion and choices. When I suggest alternative treatments, he outlines with me the known pros and cons vs. those of the conventional route - always on a medical and scientific level, never with scare tactics or emotional blackmail. I appreciate this greatly.

All in all, I'm really happy with my GP. I haven't had such luck with other doctors - for some reason gynecologists seem to be the worst. They've often been terrorists ("if you smoke while on the pill you'll die!!"), have refused to justify their actions ("I don't prescribe IUDs to childless women, period") or condescendent ("oh please, a speculum isn't that painful. Stop complaining") So yeah... I'm still shopping around for an Ob-Gyn.

Also, I've found that doctors who've worked with public clinics or done social work (like working with planned parenthood or the social services) have the work ethics I look for in a health provider, much more so than doctors from rich neighborhoods. Maybe because when you treat drug addicts and homeless people year long you aren't too hung up on what you believe your patient's life and choices should be - you just listen to what your patient's life and choices are, and work from there.

ETA: a snippet of a conversation I had first with a gyno, then with my GP, that illustrates perfectly the kind of medical advice I expect from a doctor.
1. gyno: "What! You're not getting a pap smear every year! But you must get a yearly pap! Skipping it is completely irresponsible, do you know what the cervix cancer rate is?!" We have unjustified declarations, scare tactics, and no effort to understand the patient's choice.

2. GP: "so why haven't you gotten a pap last year? (was in Japan, had no interest in adding an obgyn visit to my list of cultural shocks and expensive souvenirs. Same will apply for the next 2 years.) I see, I understand that it's inconvenient in your situation. Being monogamous you have a low but not inexistant risk [quotes actual risk, according to which studies], so I'd still advise you try to get a pap. But alternatively, I suggest you and your partner get tested for HPV and if he's positive, think about getting vaccinated. Here is some data on Gardasil for you to think about. Research it and come back once you've made your decision." Here we have understanding of patient's situation, science supported opinions, various tailor made courses of actions, encouragement to critical thinking and time for reflexion. That's just what I want. Someone who treats me like a rational adult who has freedom over her body.

[jamesbiz]

Yeah I guess non of it comes from most of America being over weight and there for flooding doctors with problem after problem. Or them allowing constant adds for precription pills, which makes people go to their doctor even more to get the new drug. Or the constant adds for "problems" and "conditions" and "disorders" we magically now have, which is causing the entire country to be nothing more then a bunch of hypochondriacs that think they are going to die every time they sneeze. Or maybe you can blame it on the internet? Ask any doctor what a person normally says when they come in " Oh doc, I think I have ( insert some weird condition that almost no one has, but they found out online that their "symptoms" point to it), so can you give me ( insert yet another pill from yet another add) . I've read that it works great and would like to try it ( because I really am just to lazy to try and eat or sleep better). Lets not forget the horrible malpractice problems we have in our sue happy country, which the big O says he won't even try to fix. Why do you need all those expensive tests and drugs which depletes your insurance? Because the doctor needs to cover their ass.

The stuff above is why experience with doctors is horrible, yet only about 19% of people polled say that our health care is poor with 50% saying it's good or excellent.

[aggie]

doctors also will prescibe the latest pill that the drug companies are pushing that is new and not covered by insurance even if the patients are doing fine on an old cheaper drug and don't need it so they can get the patient to come back over and over for more appointments...which is more money that they can get out of insurance companies that don't care about the health of the patient and think that if they deny a test here, the riduculously high cost at the doctor will cover IT...not any doctor's BEHIND!

[StacyT]

My doctor sent me in for surgery for a hernia when I only had an ovarian cyst. The surgeon was his buddy...

[aggie]

oh yes, the do refer to their friends...i see it every day....

[aelle]

Originally Posted by jamesbiz

Ask any doctor what a person normally says when they come in " Oh doc, I think I have ( insert some weird condition that almost no one has, but they found out online that their "symptoms" point to it), so can you give me ( insert yet another pill from yet another add) .

Advertising and the internet probably have a role in this behaviour, but I see 2 other reaons.
The first one is a system that is based on damage control rather than prevention and that discourages patients to seek medical help for 'minor' problems. As a result, people are used to self-diagnosing and self-medicating - why would it change when they need a prescription?
The second one is a system that pushes doctors to see as many patients as possible within their work day. If I was to limit my visits to the doctor's to 15 minutes, most of which is spent filling paperwork and seeing the nurse, I'd try to take the most time efficient route, too.

[this is fun]

My brother had problems with his back. Instead of trying to figure out what the problem was, the doctor told him to just take pain killers when it hurts. How's that for therapy

On the other hand, the hospital my mother was in had the most wonderful and caring doctors who really did their best.

[coolbgdog]

I haven't been to the doctor in years. I never had a pleasing experience there nor had some type of assurance in there. Mostly everyone just came in and out; taking shots and getting weighed or told how bad something they have may be. Since becoming vegan, utilizing herbs and raw foods, I learn how my body reacts and what to supply it with. Not to shun doctors in general but a lot of doctors only do what they've been trained to do and that is prescribe to get a kickback.

[jamesbiz]

Originally Posted by this is fun

My brother had problems with his back. Instead of trying to figure out what the problem was, the doctor told him to just take pain killers when it hurts. How's that for therapy

On the other hand, the hospital my mother was in had the most wonderful and caring doctors who really did their best.

oh that's a perfect segway to what obama has said about his new health care thank you.

YouTube - Obama to Jane Sturm: Hey, take a pill

[jamesbiz]

Originally Posted by aggie

doctors also will prescibe the latest pill that the drug companies are pushing that is new and not covered by insurance even if the patients are doing fine on an old cheaper drug and don't need it so they can get the patient to come back over and over for more appointments...which is more money that they can get out of insurance companies that don't care about the health of the patient and think that if they deny a test here, the riduculously high cost at the doctor will cover IT...not any doctor's BEHIND!

Which I completely 100% agree with you on. Another reason for that is the FDA and taking 10 years and millions of dollars to get drugs pushed through approval. Then they only have 5 years to sell as many as possible before their patent expires and anyone can make generic drugs. So yeah, they are going to be extremely aggressive with their selling tactics, or they'd lose money. Catch 22. If we dont' let them run ads and sell the way they are, they won't make them anymore, so we won't even have drugs to sell. No generics either, because generics only come from the big guys creating the drug in the first place. Or we can overhaul the FDA so that it's easier to create the drugs in the first place like all the other countries. Same thing happened with the mortgage crisis. The government forced peoples hands, and created what we have today. That's the only good thing about other countries. Their medication is far better and more advanced then ours, and they also don't have ads like we do. They are actually banned in most of those places. The pharmaceutical industry needs a real big change. And yes, I also feel that we should overhaul general HEALTH in America so we are no longer FIXING problems but preventing.

There is just a lot that needs to be done, but I STILL feel that the course we are going is not the right direction. There are plenty of problems that can be fixed. Is the way to create peace, to eliminate all guns or criminals? No, you start small and work at each issue. Same thing goes for humans and are mental problems. You don't just jump in and change every single aspect. You dig deep dig and figure out what the problems are. Why they are. What to do to fix them. What caused them, and fix the problems that caused them in the first place, etc etc.

[SomeRandomGuy]

jamesbiz - I don't want this to seem like I'm calling you out, I just want to make sure I understand what you've been saying. It sounds like your stance is that for the most part experiences with doctors are bad. The blame, however, lies more so with overweight and/or hypochondriac patients, lawsuits, and government regulations than with the doctors themselves. Is that an accurate summation?

[jamesbiz]

no, what I'm saying is that the blame isn't all on the doctors like everyone on here tries to make it out to be. Nothing is black and white. There is a reason for just about everything
With out the aspects that I've mentioned as well as a few others, a large part of the problems people have with doctors would go away. There will always be problems, but I think it would be a good enough change to stop people who aren't happy with the current health care to stop complaining. Remember, not many people post up reviews on how good something is, vs how bad something is. That's how it works with just about anything. The bad always stands out more, even if it's in the minority
You know what's funny about this site?

Ask anyone on here if they think that criminals are at fault for being bad or it's all the parts of society acting against them...


Ask them about doctors, cops, or anyone like that, and it's no longer society, but just them.

[SomeRandomGuy]

Originally Posted by jamesbiz

no, what I'm saying is that the blame isn't all on the doctors like everyone on here tries to make it out to be. Nothing is black and white. There is a reason for just about everything

You know what's funny about this site?

Ask anyone on here if they think that criminals are at fault for being bad or it's all the parts of society acting against them...


Ask them about doctors, cops, or anyone like that, and it's no longer society, but just them.

Thanks for the clarification. I think that your stance, that everyone involved shoulders some of the blame is logical.

[Infinte7]

Originally Posted by SomeRandomGuy

jamesbiz - I don't want this to seem like I'm calling you out, I just want to make sure I understand what you've been saying. It sounds like your stance is that for the most part experiences with doctors are bad. The blame, however, lies more so with overweight and/or hypochondriac patients, lawsuits, and government regulations than with the doctors themselves. Is that an accurate summation?

I would agree, you cannot put all the blame on doctors, people are hypochondriacs, this is why we go out and get the latest drug and/or vaccination, that is in turn pushed by the "pusha man", pharmaceutical industries...The government supports these methods...

Doctors are overworked as well...

[ns123]

Like in any industry, there are good doctors and bad doctors. Heck in the software industry, there are good coders and bad coders.

Anyway, I, for one, have had both experiences. I currently have an excellent ob-gyn and love my kids pediatrician and I totally would trust both those docs. My kid also had his tonsils/adenoids removed and it was the best experience it could ever be -under the circumstances of undergoing surgery. Nurses, doctors, hospital staff... everyone was awesome.

I've also had really bad hospital stay experiences as well as bad general practicitioners in the past... but mostly it was with their staff and not the doctors themselves.

But I whole heartedly agree with jamesbiz - the trouble with a lot of problems in healthcare today are not all shouldered by the doctors or hospitals themselves... patients, regulation, liability... they all share the blame.

And jamesbiz, I love this observation of yours:

You know what's funny about this site?
Ask anyone on here if they think that criminals are at fault for being bad or it's all the parts of society acting against them...
Ask them about doctors, cops, or anyone like that, and it's no longer society, but just them.

Very astute!

[SomeRandomGuy]

I find it very interesting to read through the threads on this site and notice how different people perceive the same conversations so differently. I think this topic, for example, is one of those. Some people seem to have the perception that most (or a lot) of the people on the boards view doctors as being evil, and uncaring. Other people who read the same messages seem to have the perception that most people on the boards view doctors as being almost godlike, and accept their words as fact.

My views are somewhere in the middle. I think the widely differing views is one reason that any change in the healthcare system will come very slowly. As long as people perceive conversations on the topic so differently, can we really expect a nationwide (or worldwide) consensus on what should be done?

I apologize for getting off topic there. This thread isn't about healthcare reform. Its about sharing our own experiences (good or bad) with doctors, so we all have a greater pool of experiences to consider when forming our opinions.

[aelle]

I'd like to hear your experience, RandomGuy. It seems that you started this thread because you were bothered by the extremely polarized opinions in the vaccine thread, I'm sure you have some well-though insight on health practitioners at the back of your head.

[aggie]

i agree it is not all black and white.

there are good doctors that sometimes don't always do good things because of the system.

it starts with the insurance companies down...people do not realize how much they are running the show and dictating what is happening.

it is like a mini government. people shoudl be afraid of that.

i work in the system and have seen wonderful and horrible, personally and professionally. i would never deny that there is both.

healthcare has become a money based endeavor.

in some european countries where it is affordable, the doctors still can have a rather comfortable lifestyle. you can still be paid well for what you have to offer people and your knowledge and skill.

this problem has become our society, because it courses through our society's veins whether we like it or not.

and it is not affecting a minority, but rather majority of that society.

i know this thread was about experiences....but you almost cannot speak of the experience without the roots of it.

[ns123]

In response to the vaccine thread:

I also questioned the requirement to vaccinate my child or not back when I was a new parent. With all the internet scares about mercury as a preservative... etc... I didn't know what to believe.

One doctor I asked (who did not become my doctor) said that people who decide to not vaccinate are quacks. He went on to discredit them as all quacks. I didn't like his stance.

I asked another doc and the answer I got was, well, there are many different studies done, and in his professional opinion as a doctor, he finds more merit in the studies that say vaccines are safe and that we should do it. He also followed up and said that he vaccinates all three of his own children and will continue to do so.

I also came to my own conclusion already that I was most likely comfortable with the vaccines... and it was further confirmed by the 2nd doc. The first doc told me the same thing, but his deliverance was awful.

So... guess which doctor ended up being my kid's doctor? The 2nd one.

I think when people disagree, it's easier for them to demonize the other side, we are either a bunch of quacks or sheeple led by the greedy corporations. I think neither view is productive... and when I debate with those who take on this view... I always just agree with them and back away slowly.

[SomeRandomGuy]

Originally Posted by aelle

I'd like to hear your experience, RandomGuy. It seems that you started this thread because you were bothered by the extremely polarized opinions in the vaccine thread, I'm sure you have some well-though insight on health practitioners at the back of your head.

I wasn't necessarily bothered by the polarized opinions in the other thread. I just thought that this topic deserved some discussion, outside of the vaccination discussion (which is apparently a very emotional topic for many).

I can only think of one truly positive experience with a doctor. The dentist that my wife and I see now is wonderful. The entire staff is very nice and helpful. She always makes sure we understand what is going on, and gives different treatment options. She also gives us an estimated cost for each treatment, so we can weigh that in our decision. I do not know, however, if this is normal for that dentist, or if we get treated differently because it turns out we grew up in the same area and she knows my wifes family.

I'll try to be brief, but will list a few of the less than positive experiences I have had personally, or have been told about my friends and family.

The experience that most stands out to me is related to a bout of depression I went through about 10 or so years ago. My doctor prescribed medication to treat my acid reflux. Shortly after that, I was diagnosed with clinical depression. A lot had changed in my life (gotten married, moved to a new town, started college), so I it was caused by one of those things. It turns out, however, that my acid reflux medicine was known for causing depression in some people. Had my doctor told me this, I could have at least recognized that fact when the depression hit and tried to address it sooner. This is a case where I should have done some research. The psychiatrist I saw for depression put me on anti-depresassants (as well as regular therapy). I actually stayed on the acid reflux medicine for quite some time, while taking other meds to counter-act the depression. Knowing what i know now, I would have asked my GP to switch my acid refllux meds and tried to avoid going on anti-depressants at all if that was an option. I don't know why a doctor would prescribe additional medicine to address an issue caused by another medicine (of which there were many alternatives to).

The other thing that stands out from personal experience is that growing up my family doctor was very overweight. I was also overweight, and he always suggested I need to lose weight. I remember it being very hard to take his advice on the topic seriously, though, when he was more overweight than I was.

I've also heard stories from friends and family members that concern me. One of my friends had a doctor prescribe medication to her that she knew was bad for her to take since she was breastfeeding. Had she not done her research beforehand, she would have never known it would be bad for her child. The same friend recently talked to her doctor (different doctor) to see what preparations she should make before trying to get pregnant again. She had already planned to lose some weight (she's maybe 20-30 pounds overweight) and get her blood pressure lowed (it is borderline high) before trying. The doctor basically told her that she didn't need to do anything, just start trying. He seemed to have no concern about her weight or blood pressure. He didn't give her any feedback on things she could do to improve her chances of having a trouble-free pregnancy.

My dad is on medication for blood pressure and cholesterol ,even though with diet and exercise he could likely control both without medicine. To my knowledge, however, he has never received any real guidance from his doctor regarding making those changes.

From the people I have talked to, these seem like normal experiences. The doctor prescribes treatment without discussing any alternatives with you. The prescription(s) get called or faxed into the pharmacy without the patient even really knowing what they are getting until they pick them up. Everyone should read the warnings and side effects for any prescription, but by the time you have it in hand the only person you can talk to about it is the pharmacist. If you decide you have an issue with the medicine, you have to either trying calling your doctor or even go back in for another appointment.

Hopefully these experiences aren't really the norm. From the responses so far, however, it seems like maybe they are.

[jamesbiz]

Originally Posted by ns123

Like in any industry, there are good doctors and bad doctors. Heck in the software industry, there are good coders and bad coders.

Anyway, I, for one, have had both experiences. I currently have an excellent ob-gyn and love my kids pediatrician and I totally would trust both those docs. My kid also had his tonsils/adenoids removed and it was the best experience it could ever be -under the circumstances of undergoing surgery. Nurses, doctors, hospital staff... everyone was awesome.

I've also had really bad hospital stay experiences as well as bad general practicitioners in the past... but mostly it was with their staff and not the doctors themselves.

But I whole heartedly agree with jamesbiz - the trouble with a lot of problems in healthcare today are not all shouldered by the doctors or hospitals themselves... patients, regulation, liability... they all share the blame.

And jamesbiz, I love this observation of yours:


Very astute!

Thank you and yeah. Take some time and pay attention to what people here say... They all seem like very nice people, but to many are way to hypocritical with their thoughts and opinions. I'm glad you liked my comparison.

[aggie]

back to the original topic...bedside manner and delivery of information can be very important to people in certain instances.

however, on a personal and professional level, there may be some physicians that might appear arrogant or flip...but they happen to be damn good at what they do, so i can look beyond that for the professional care i know i will get.

that be said, i think there are certain things in a patient-doctor relationship that should not be compromised.

i also think that some of us that are in the field can maneuver around it a little better and help friends and family and patients we have do so as well, to work with what we do have until it gets better. i know i feel morally obligated to do as much for the patients i service as the health care provider i work for.

[liamona]

I used to go to doctors a lot, back when I had a lot of chronic health problems that were being "treated" with antibiotics, and so continued to occur over and over again until I wised up.

Despite having had excellent health insurance all my life, I can honestly say that I've only had three good doctors in my entire life (and I'm now in my mid-forties). The rest were mediocre to incompetent.

Two of the three are pretty young, and only started practicing medicine in the last ten to fifteen years. So hopefully this means that medical education is improving, but I'm not holding my breath.

The one that I respect the most, whom I consider my primary physician is one who doesn't take any health insurance. I have to pay out-of-pocket to see him, but I think it's money well-spent.

This is probably not a coincidence, but he also has no Big Pharma posters, pens, or cups in his office. The ones that do are the ones in the mediocre to incompetent category. Hm, how can that be? LOL.

[liamona]

Last night after I meditated, I was thinking about this thread, and comments like how the vaccine thread had gotten polarized. I was thinking about how to make that less so, and thought, "why do you have to be a hard ass about this? Aren't you being overly critical of the medical profession?"

Then wham, I had a series of vivid flashbacks to experiences that I'd forgotten about (talk about the power of meditation!). Most of these experiences are from when I was younger:

I remembered that as a child I used to have minor ear problems that doctors would "treat" by jamming tubes in them and forcing water to clear out junk. It was extremely painful—no wonder I hardly ever think about it.

One time when I had to go to the emergency room, I was asked to place my foot on a dirty cushion that had broken glass and other debris from the previous patient who had been in a car accident. When I pointed that out, and made comments later about being scared, the doctor snickered and made jokes about my fears.

During a surgical consultation, the doctor used his pen to draw where he would make the incisions on my stomach, as if I were a side of beef.

When I was a teenager, one of my doctors wanted to do exploratory surgery on my right ear. As my parents were checking in, my father noticed that the paperwork noted that my left year was scheduled to be operated on. He went ballistic, which was embarrassing at the time but now I thank my lucky stars!

Good lord, it's no wonder I've been so inspired to seek alternative health providers!

[sepiagal]

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[sepiagal]

I use GPs to do tests for me b/c my holistic doc is an hours drive. I would never come out and say to any GP or other kind of non-holistic doc I am going to for lab work that I'm not interested in their diagnosis or opinion but that is the truth.

Someone mentioned their doc's attitude seeming a bit scoplding. I think patients need to speak up when they hear that with some comment like "I'm not paying for your attitude. Talk to your wife (or husband) and kids that way but not your patients, at least not me. That's how doctors get fired by their patients; and that's how they get bad (patient) reviews online." And maybe suggest a bedside manner refresher course.

[aggie]

i agree with the respect one should get from a doctor...

i see them fire patients all the time...but it is usually for non compliance where they would be a liability healthwise.

some speak up and get away with it, though it usually doesn't accomplish much but ruffle feathers and get more attitude.

but if there is the slightest hint they could be a problem in the legal sense, they are gone, unfortunately some patients just like to find fault with everything, even if you are trying to help them, and like to complain.

not that some don't have a legitimate gripe, each instance is different...it all depends on how they present their concerns and how knowledgeable they are about how the system works and alas some don't even make an effort to know how their own insurance works.

if there is a real problem and they don't seek medical attention from someone that gives them the time they pay for and the respect and compassion that they deserve, then there is not a whole lot that they can do.

a lot of elderly patients who have been going to a physician for years and don't adjust to the change of the system and the doctor's attitude, men and woman alike can be reduced to tears. i have seen it and it is sad. but they will usually take it and come back because they are afraid of going out into the world of medical choices they don't understand and trying a new doctor.

i deal with irate patients every day and i have to realize that most of them are sick and scared and just want someone to listen, understand, and try to help them.