Does The Medical Field Need A Makeover?

[Indie]

I live in a country with public healthcare; so, I don't know if the following applies to the experiences of those of you under a private healthcare system. Let us know, either way.

It seems that, in the medical field, health issues and their treatment are often reduced to recent / current symptoms and their alleviation. You go to the doctor, tell them what's bothering you, they give you some medicine that fixes your symptoms but that creates new symptoms they call side-effects. And...that's pretty much it.

Patients walk out of the doctor's office almost as clueless as they walked in: they neither understand their illness nor what to do about it, other than taking medication.

Given this situation, I find myself doing research and trying to decipher medical literature. But even when I manage to join the dots and figure things out, doctors seem out of touch with the new research and discoveries in their own field.

The field of medicine should change it's modus operandi. That includes: figuring out the roots of a patient's illness(es), how different issues might be related, and how to improve the overall health of the patient beyond reducing symptoms.

How can that be achieved? I have no idea. I'm too busy being my own doctor and learning about body parts and organisms with unpronouncable names

But I am curious about everyone else's experiences, and whether the situation is the same with private healthcare.

P.S. I appreciate having free healthcare. This thread is not about the economics or politics of healthcare. It's about the specific issue mentioned above: how the health of each patient is managed by his or her doctors.

 

[Iron Maiden]

i’d point out something even further upstream in the medical food chain.

how are we training doctors and why do they all graduate with a god complex. i have never seen such change in personality in any other field. i personaly cut contact with a long time friend to this because he became a grade A prick throughout his years.

my man u saw nose bones and inject chemicals into cougars lips and foreheads, u’re not that important.

 

[IsaBells]

I think when it comes to countries that offer "free healthcare" (for lack of a more appropriate term) which is my experience as well, the sheer number of patients that doctors have to talk to every day makes it harder for them to explain in full details to each and every one of them what exactly is wrong with them. I went to a dentist about 5 times to fix my tooth I have no idea wtf he did since he never answered any of my questions, he told me I needed a couronne but never explained why I had to do my own research, and I just know I paid for it and asked my Lebanese dentist about it and whether his work was okay in Lebanon I did give him a bad review on Google though lol.

When I examined my eyes kamena, I talked to the doctor for about 5 minutes she gave me a prescription for glasses and I never saw her again!

Heck when I gave birth to my daughter I went to see the gynochologist who performed my emergency c section a month after it was a 10 minute conversation where he lectured me about the importance of birth control and how quickly I needed to lose the weight I had gained ?! He did admire his work though while examining me! Nothing about the pain I still felt a month later, he explained that that was totally normal and will dissipate after a while, how long is a while I had no idea, turned out it's 5 months ?!

My limited experience with healthcare in Lebanon was one where doctors take the time to explain to patients exactly what's wrong with them, but that seems to be dwindling as well. A friend of mine got breast cancer and 4 out of 5 doctors advised her she needed to get a double mastectomy without explaining the reasoning behind it, poor girl was crying for weeks over the prospective loss of her organs! Finally one stepped in and explained everything in full details and she was on board with the decision, but still that's a horrific position to be in and your doctor has to be the one guiding you through it, not simply describing how they're going to cut you up like you're a pizza or something!

So yeah I agree, doctors need to have more of a human touch! Everyone at their office is a scared individual incredibly worried about their health, they need to find the time to reassure them or at least answer some of their questions. I understand it gets tedious after a while, but that poor human being in your office is just looking for answers and it's your job to help him!

 

[Indie]

i’d point out something even further upstream in the medical food chain.

how are we training doctors and why do they all graduate with a god complex. i have never seen such change in personality in any other field. i personaly cut contact with a long time friend to this because he became a grade A prick throughout his years.

my man u saw nose bones and inject chemicals into cougars lips and foreheads, u’re not that important.

There must be two types of people who go into the medical field...the kind that likes to care for others and the kind that likes the title.

But even the former can be part of the issue I mentioned in the OP. Maybe it has to do with their training and how they're separated into specializations. Also, big pharma finances most of the research so the solutions they're being taught seem to revolve around medication.

 

[Indie]

I think when it comes to countries that offer "free healthcare" (for lack of a more appropriate term) which is my experience as well, the sheer number of patients that doctors have to talk to every day makes it harder for them to explain in full details to each and every one of them what exactly is wrong with them. I went to a dentist about 5 times to fix my tooth I have no idea wtf he did since he never answered any of my questions, he told me I needed a couronne but never explained why I had to do my own research, and I just know I paid for it and asked my Lebanese dentist about it and whether his work was okay in Lebanon I did give him a bad review on Google though lol.

When I examined my eyes kamena, I talked to the doctor for about 5 minutes she gave me a prescription for glasses and I never saw her again!

Heck when I gave birth to my daughter I went to see the gynochologist who performed my emergency c section a month after it was a 10 minute conversation where he lectured me about the importance of birth control and how quickly I needed to lose the weight I had gained ?! He did admire his work though while examining me! Nothing about the pain I still felt a month later, he explained that that was totally normal and will dissipate after a while, how long is a while I had no idea, turned out it's 5 months ?!

My limited experience with healthcare in Lebanon was one where doctors take the time to explain to patients exactly what's wrong with them, but that seems to be dwindling as well. A friend of mine got breast cancer and 4 out of 5 doctors advised her she needed to get a double mastectomy without explaining the reasoning behind it, poor girl was crying for weeks over the prospective loss of her organs! Finally one stepped in and explained everything in full details and she was on board with the decision, but still that's a horrific position to be in and your doctor has to be the one guiding you through it, not simply describing how they're going to cut you up like you're a pizza or something!

So yeah I agree, doctors need to have more of a human touch! Everyone at their office is a scared individual incredibly worried about their health, they need to find the time to reassure them or at least answer some of their questions. I understand it gets tedious after a while, but that poor human being in your office is just looking for answers and it's your job to help him!

Exactly. When you go to a restaurant, the waiter doesn't get to be rude to you just because he has a lot of customers. A teacher doesn't get to dismiss your questions just because he already explained the same thing to many other students.

It should be part of the doctor's job to keep their patients educated. After all, an educated patient will take better care of his health, and this might prevent additional health issues.

 

[ّTelefon Kasse]

people in Lebanon do not need more hospitals ya HA, they all have means of transportation to go to any hospital.
the Lebanese people cannot afford the overly-high cost of medication and hospitals <-- there is the problem !!