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Heart for Medicine
I've been blogging since December and trying to find the right mix of information and interesting, maybe a little bit controversial, posts to keep people interested. Since I'm blogging for WebMD, you can be sure that I have some concern about not offending anyone outright. That wouldn't be appropriate, and it's not really me, for the most part.
There are some things that tick me off in medicine, such as the problems with professional liability and the need for tort reform, and I have alluded to them. Another is discussed in my last post, the idea that people should come to see me expecting to "buy in" to a plan of treatment.
Currently I'm thinking about lousy health care providers, and how passionate I am about doing the right thing for people. That means that when I spout off about patients needing to do what I'm asking of them when they come for my advice, there is a flip side: I owe them an obligation to be thoughtful about what I chose to have them do. I have to choose tests, medicines, and treatments with care and a purpose. There are a lot of providers out there who are "fishing" for their medicine. These people order a lot of needless tests, including blood work, or try medication after medication until something works, hoping to hit on a workable solution.
There is supposed to be a method to medicine; after a history is taken the provider develops a list in their head of possible causes of the person's complaints. The provider then performs a physical exam and comes to an educated conclusion about what he or she thinks is wrong and what the treatment options are. Only then are additional tests ordered to support the diagnostic conclusion that the provider has already determined to be the likely cause of the complaint.
I'm interested in what experiences my readers have had with this type of medical care. This is the part where I hope to stimulate some comments! If there is anything a blogger lives for it's comments about their posts, and I'm told that I have to be a little more patient about that as a newcomer to weblogs. That's easier said than done! But I'm hoping to get a big boost in traffic since I have been honored by being the lead off post at Grand Rounds today. Yippee! A great big thank-you to Kevin, MD for this honor.
Laurie
Related Topics: Diagnosing Your Doctor: What Should You Know?, How Much Does Health Care Truly Cost?
Technorati Tags: Medicine, Medical Blogosphere, ethics, Medical Practice
There are some things that tick me off in medicine, such as the problems with professional liability and the need for tort reform, and I have alluded to them. Another is discussed in my last post, the idea that people should come to see me expecting to "buy in" to a plan of treatment.
Currently I'm thinking about lousy health care providers, and how passionate I am about doing the right thing for people. That means that when I spout off about patients needing to do what I'm asking of them when they come for my advice, there is a flip side: I owe them an obligation to be thoughtful about what I chose to have them do. I have to choose tests, medicines, and treatments with care and a purpose. There are a lot of providers out there who are "fishing" for their medicine. These people order a lot of needless tests, including blood work, or try medication after medication until something works, hoping to hit on a workable solution.
There is supposed to be a method to medicine; after a history is taken the provider develops a list in their head of possible causes of the person's complaints. The provider then performs a physical exam and comes to an educated conclusion about what he or she thinks is wrong and what the treatment options are. Only then are additional tests ordered to support the diagnostic conclusion that the provider has already determined to be the likely cause of the complaint.
I'm interested in what experiences my readers have had with this type of medical care. This is the part where I hope to stimulate some comments! If there is anything a blogger lives for it's comments about their posts, and I'm told that I have to be a little more patient about that as a newcomer to weblogs. That's easier said than done! But I'm hoping to get a big boost in traffic since I have been honored by being the lead off post at Grand Rounds today. Yippee! A great big thank-you to Kevin, MD for this honor.
Laurie
An honor is not diminished for being shared.
Lois McMaster Bujold, "Shards of Honor", 1986
US science fiction author
Related Topics: Diagnosing Your Doctor: What Should You Know?, How Much Does Health Care Truly Cost?
Technorati Tags: Medicine, Medical Blogosphere, ethics, Medical Practice
