Are you an obnoxious patient?

CNN recently did a writeup on how to approach your doctor with your own research on a health condition. This seemed really timely in light of a previous set of comments I had previously written and some of the topics that have been recently discussed.

The question being asked is: Are you an obnoxious patient? I wonder how many of us can admit it if we are. In my case it becomes especially difficult to be objective since I feel like I have a vested interest in getting better, unlike my doctor to whom I may be just a patient. I also feel like I have learned a lot about my specific condition and I know which symptoms specifically apply to me. Yet, on the flip side, it is important to realize that the physician has probably seen a thousand patients like me and probably knows more about the progress of the condition and what I should expect. I guess its difficult being a partner... and trusting your partner.

Help your doc help you....

The illustrious Dr. Jerome Groopman (who was recently interviewed on NPR) recently published a new book, How Doctors Think. It's an expanded version of an article he wrote for The New Yorker.

This is a more engaging read than one might think at first blush, in part because of Groopman's liberal use of stories and anecdotes. These illustrate the information he really wants to share with us: the facts that (a) doctors are not perfect, (b) they make predictable errors in diagnosis, often due to cognitive or emotional biases, and (c) we--the general public--can help doctors avoid these pitfalls if we know what they are. By asking, for example, "Is there anything else it could be?" or "Is it possible that I have more than one problem?" we can help the doctor consider options she may have overlooked.

So why is this relevant to you, the WBP reader? Well, two reasons leap to mind. The first is that women continue to play the role of healthcare decision maker for their families, and so we're often in the best position to ask the right question at the right moment. The second is that my own mom, and many other moms of my acquaintance, have shared their stories of "knowing something was wrong" with a loved one, even when the doctors weren't able to find anything at first. Though Groopman doesn't seem to think of it this way, a piece of advice that fits right in with the rest of his argument is "Trust your own intuition--at least far enough to ask the doctor that one more question."

Worth Noting

Stumbled across this gem of an article about 7 Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe from LiveScience. The British Medical Journal found out that when it comes to urban myths, doctors aren't immune. For example:

"Myth: We use only 10 percent of our brains.

Fact: Physicians and comedians alike, including Jerry Seinfeld, love to cite this one. It's sometimes erroneously credited to Albert Einstein. But MRI scans, PET scans and other imaging studies show no dormant areas of the brain, and even viewing individual neurons or cells reveals no inactive areas, the new paper points out. Metabolic studies of how brain cells process chemicals show no nonfunctioning areas. The myth probably originated with self-improvement hucksters in the early 1900s who wanted to convince people that they had yet not reached their full potential, Carroll figures. It also doesn't jibe with the fact that our other organs run at full tilt."

For the other six myths and the rest of article, click here.

So, Which Side Was That Again, Eh…? The Horror of Wrong-Sided Surgery

You’re having surgery. All the authorizations have been given—all the forms signed…and preparations made.

You trust your surgeon’s credentials, education and expertise in providing you with the care you need. You have every confidence in the nursing staff.

Yet, you can’t arrive at the hospital before stopping at an art store to pick up…permanent markers—just as a precaution. “X” marks the spot, right?

You want to make sure there’s no question WHICH side of your body the surgery is to be performed on.

Sound wacky? Not when you consider that tales of doctors operating on the wrong side of a patient’s body—or removing the wrong organ or limb—happen with frightening frequency in hospitals across the country. The most recent case, involving an 82-year old Rhode Island patient, resulted in a $50,000 fine being levied against the hospital.

While the overall percentages are low, so-called “wrong-site surgery” occurs more often than is being reported, and has prompted a review of procedures and implementation of guidelines for hospitals to follow to prevent occurrences. Review the article and relate your own opinion on what can or should be done.

http://tinyurl.com/3bxcbx