Yes! Take notes at the doctor's office.

As a recently minted physician, I am often on the receiving end of the gripes and grouses about the medical profession. Often I get complaints of office visits that are too short, doctors who seem too preoccupied to hear their patients' complaints, medical bills that are too high and medications that do nothing but cause adverse effects. On the other hand, I can't count the number of times I have left the exam room, convinced I have gotten the most complete and accurate information from the patient only to be confronted by the attending on something I had 'missed'. Really?!?!? I just asked her that and she denied having chest pain one week ago! The truth is, patients are often intimidated and confused by the whole medical experience and in this state are even more likely to forget the details of their medical history, thus creating a less than ideal environment for optimizing health.  Something needs to be done to improve the doctor's visit, both for patients and for physicians.

Blackened Tilapia dinner

Gotta Love The Babies

Me: Okay Jonathon, the virus caused you to vomit a lot and now you're dehydrated. We need to get your fluids back up to par, so we'll have to place you on an IV drip. You'll be brave and allow me to do it right?

10 year old: (bawling, tears running down face)Nooo!It's gonna hurt! Mommy, she's gonna stick me!

(After 5 mins of successfully consoling him)

Me: OK, you're brave, you're strong, it's just a little stick, then the pain goes away.

10 year old (no longer crying): OK, I'm ready

(First attempt: he flinches. Unsuccessful)

(Second attempt: he flinches again. Unsuccessful)

(On third attempt...)

10 year old: Are you new here? How come you can't get it in yet?

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Seeing Jamaican patient and 4 year old son at Ob-Gyn clinic.

Me: Okay mom, we're going to have to draw some blood to check your blood sugar level.

Patient: Okay Doc

(I get supplies, begin advancing venipuncture needle)

Patient's son: No! Don't juk mih mommy!

Back in (somewhat) full force.

I started this because I wanted to write. I wanted to express myself. But like many other things. Procrastination/life got the better of me and I neglected to follow through on my promise to myself. So here I am again, attempting to get it started, trying my best to make the best of it. I've taken a month of to regroup, recuperate from the madness of the past several months. I am praying for a future of success and future of organization, peace, of financial prowess. Each day is indeed a blessing I give thanks for where I've come.

From object to subject

It is important to care. To stop, get out of one's own self-involved space and listen, look, experience the world as the patient does. Today some of our residents were berated for just that. For treating patients as routine. For filling out the checklists, doing the minimal required and not truly assessing the patient in her (I'm on OBGyn service) wholeness. It's something physicians get criticized for regularly, but it really takes going against the grain to do such. The way we report cases and approach an individual is indeed depersonalized and sterile. "Patient is 34 year old female complaining of .... G1P0, previous C-section...." I wish I could convey the tone in which it is presented too. Often times it seems that patient is object, rather than subject of the medical conversation. It has been some months since I've been in clinical rotations and I still find it hard to present. Perhaps it's because I have not mastered organizing the systematic process in my head but the fact that I find it hard to separate my inclination to have a connection with the patient from the depersonalized nature of presenting may also be a contributing factor.

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Twitter: @drperipatetic

Disclaimer

Always get medical advice from *your* doctor. Thoughts expressed here are all my own and should not serve as a substitute for visiting your physician.