Getting along with and having confidence in your doctor

I was reading someone's blog and he was complaining about his doctor. Meanwhile, he starts and stops DMDs other drugs, diets and supplements and is in the hospital frequently.

It occured to me that if you do not have confidence that your doctor is competent and cares about you then maybe you will do worse. We are affected by our own attitude and that can be affected by our doctor's.

Here is a study showing that diabetic patients of empathetic doctors did better than those with unfeeling doctors. Something to think (but not obsess) about. If you don't like your doctor, it may be worth changing.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/0...re/?ref=health

[rdmc]

Confidence in doctors...hmm. there are good doctors, , there are bad doctors, and there are awful doctors.

I have complete confidence in my GP. My physiatrist and present urologist are great. I've had some awful neuros, and some okay ones. I see an MS specialist now, he's a really smart doc. Waited 6 months for my first appt. only to find out that once you see him as a new patient, you don't routinely see him again...just the NP...I guess that's common practice these days, I don't like it.

In a discussion on wheelchair kamikaze where he talks about our medical system, the comments were made that we certainly don't live in a " House" episode, and we're lucky to get 20 minutes from our neuro every 6 months. (btw...Marc's last two posts have been excellent about the medical system, and pharmaceuticals.)

Had one neuro who absolutely wouldn't see me even though I was describing an acute, troubling symptom for over a week, trying to get seen. My physiatrist happened to see the problem and made a call on my behalf ( without me knowing about it) and voila...next day neuro called me to come in.
And her first words to me we're "I hear your having problems with xyz, doesn't look to bad to me.". Then I demonstrated what was actually happening, and it rattled her, she left the room, made some calls, and got me into another specialist ASAP. but originally I could tell she was put off because the physiatrist had, in essence pushed the appt.

I know there are great and compassionate neurologists somewhere, just haven't run into too many myself. In fact if someone asked me what was missing in modern medicine, I'd say "compassion"...but that's a whole other can of worms.

[BigA]

I know there are great and compassionate neurologists somewhere, just haven't run into too many myself. In fact if someone asked me what was missing in modern medicine, I'd say "compassion"...but that's a whole other can of worms.

There are and mine is, but I had to go through 2 others first. I wonder exactly what sort of person decides to become a neurologist.

Bear in mind, to my understanding, they don't have much to offer their patients - in fact, MS is the shining happy part of Neurology where there are new medicines every few years, instead of never or 50+. And your patients don't die or become demented.

Anyway, I suppose any Neurologist over 40 assumed he'd be curing people of MS by now, not simply writing prescriptions for practically ever abused drug for his patients who call him every time something lasts longer than 24 hours.

Wait... they're all saints.

[Westgrl]

I seriously considered finding a different neuro. I thought I needed a specialist. Then I talked with someone who had seen various neuros in my area & said some of them were just plain cold & uncaring.

I realized that my neuro, while not exactly the most social man ever (and no disrespect to neuros but, so far, every one I have met is a little "odd") he does show some compassion. He takes my concerns seriously & listens. Another doctor in the practice that I had to see briefly while he was on medical leave saw me the day I got my official diagnosis. I bumped into him, it had been a few months since I had last seen him, as I was leaving & he very, almost sympathetically, asked me how I was doing. I was kind of surprised.

I figure as long as I am receiving treatment, and he is taking my symptoms seriously & willing to try different treatments then I should stay. I figure the word specialist doesn't always mean better. Sometimes bedside manner is more important. For now, I do have confidence in my doctor. Doesn't mean I don't do my own research or take him at his word every time but I trust him. And I think that does help.

[lusciousleaves]

not simply writing prescriptions for practically ever abused drug for his patients who call him every time something lasts longer than 24 hours.

Wait... they're all saints.

This cracked me up. They really are saints on some level to continue doing the work they do. I think it would be one of the hardest jobs in medicine outside of oncology. I've never met one that isn't one of the hardest working people on the planet, including the doc who waited a week to chart notes.

My next referral will likely be back to the doc who is as dry as moon dust. I get a kick out of it when docs make fun of other docs and their personalities. Referring doc asks, "Do you have any problem with so and so?" Me, "Do you mean do I have any personality conflicts with him? No." I laugh. He laughs. Him, "It's kind of hard to have a personality conflict with someone who has no personality." More chuckles.

There have been others comment on how very few neurologists they've met are social beings. The docs I've talked to about it also think of research docs as the nerdy types, citing conditions like Asperger's to describe their intense pursuit of knowledge and solutions.

I get the feeling there is this whole social, political, hierarchical structure working behind the scenes we patients have little awareness of. Sort of like General Hospital on steroids.

[Thinkimjob]

I love my interventional neuroradiologist.

One hour appointment, $80, listened, sat up for hours trying to find a solution, found one, rang me.
He is such a decent, patient, caring man.

Would I still like him if he had been the bearer of bad news?

Yes, because he listens and understands and cares about you as a person, not just a condition to be treated.

That's not common in human beings, let alone neurologists.

[Tomjadg]

I can't complain about my Neuro.
I am not looking for a friend or a chatty person.
Just be professional, and treat me with respect.

When I started with him, he had a bit of an attitude that I didn't know anything. He soon learned that I educated myself, and knew what I was talking about.
He became good at listening to me, and giving me options, but always went with what I wanted.

We live with this 24/7, and nobody knows us better than ourselves. I get maybe 15-20 minutes with him every few months, and I don't expect him to spend a lot of time with me when there are many more patients for him to see.

I get my infusions there, and the MRI's down the hall. His employees are very good with setting everything up when needed.

No problems here, but I see some of the horror stories by others, and I feel lucky.

[Jules A]

I can't complain about my Neuro.
I am not looking for a friend or a chatty person.
Just be professional, and treat me with respect.

When I started with him, he had a bit of an attitude that I didn't know anything. He soon learned that I educated myself, and knew what I was talking about.
He became good at listening to me, and giving me options, but always went with what I wanted.

We live with this 24/7, and nobody knows us better than ourselves. I get maybe 15-20 minutes with him every few months, and I don't expect him to spend a lot of time with me when there are many more patients for him to see.

I get my infusions there, and the MRI's down the hall. His employees are very good with setting everything up when needed.

No problems here, but I see some of the horror stories by others, and I feel lucky.

Definitely give yourself some credit in this relationship also because it sounds like your expectations are realistic and you took the time to get to know him and allowed him to get to know you and your aptitude.

Everyone is different and trust me I know there are horrible Physicians but I think there just are as many unrealistic patients also. I try to keep that in mind when I read the numerous complaints about the neuros who aren't able to do much with this miserable, complicated disease.

Like Lusciousleaves wrote I think neurology, especially MS specialists, have one of the most dismal jobs out there and I am grateful every single day that there are those willing to devote their life's work to trying to make some headway with this thankless *** disease.