Two places should be avoided in this Mortal World to the full extent even enemies of one should not suffer from them,first is Courts and the other is Hospitals said by older ones always.
How astonishing the thing is that both have been created for the removal and eradication of afflictions and calamities from human society but both have lost their true essence now.
What are the reasons for this?
Why are they not delivering their determined duties?
The answer of this thing lies literally in their working class.The working material in these institutions are humans,The Most Prestigious Creature and the Vicegerent Of the Creator On Planet.We as humans should behave like puppet for system,we have to mould ourselves according to SOPs.
Being the person of the field,I have to support every good thing but as well as the bad thing should be highlighted and tried to nip the evil in the bud otherwise bad luck will always remained struck to us.
The normal attitude of a GP towards a patient should be as sincere as for his own family member like his/her son/daughter.When a patient come to visit a doctor,He should not be hesitant as well as he should not afraid from the stethoscope carrying person.
Hippocratic oath is just a myth and it is not being followed these days.The theme of the oath dissolved in the air.
A good doctor should have qualities like;professionalism,empathy,attentiveness,forward thinking,composure and industrious.
“Don’t Let You Doctor Kill You” is a book written by an American Doctor Erika Schewartz,M.D.Erika Schwartz, M.D., is a practicing physician in New York City, where she specializes in disease prevention, hormone balance and patient advocacy using a combination of conventional and lifestyle medicine. She is a New York Times best-selling author of four books. Her most recent book, “Don’t Let Your Doctor Kill You: How To Beat Physician Arrogance, Corporate Greed and a Broken System,” exposes our deeply flawed healthcare system and has become a manifesto for patients who are committed to better overall healthcare. The book provides much needed support and information to empower patients to change the system to their benefit.In this book,she discusses the things which should be cautioned during health care practice by doctors.It’s time to take control of our health and start a revolution.
Most important things are:
1-A doctor should be a Psychologist for a patient first.
2-Patients don’t stick to medical research data
3-Try to avoid to go to hospital if not necessary.
4-Before operation verify yourself that you need it or not & if yes then what would be the procedure
5-Every person should wash hands who enter/come to visit patient in hospital
6-Search for a doctor who would see into your eyes
There are simple ways,patients can protect themselves from harm – and improve outcomes – when seeing the doctor.In book,she tells that In her 40 years of practicing medicine, She has witnessed the disintegration of individualized care and the demise of the doctor-patient relationship as subspecialties and advanced technologies have changed the landscape and priorities in health care. We’ve made many remarkable advances in medicine, such as those involving genomics, immunotherapy, organ transplants, immunizations and stem cells. But we’ve lost the humanistic side of medicine. Common sense medicine and the compassionate doctor who is grateful to care for a patient have been replaced with standardized, disease-centered protocols and never-ending tests and procedures with little or no patient touch. That may define progress, but the price of never making eye contact or knowing important details of a patient’s life have led to more problems than solutions.Simple changes in your personal perspective will improve the entire health system – and your experience as a patient – in short order. It all starts with patient and building his self-confidence as a health care consumer. You alone live in your body, so listening or taking advice blindly from a person with a white coat and an MD after his or her name doesn’t guarantee success or health or a long happy life. You may think “the doctor knows best,” but that isn’t always the case. The doctor doesn’t know better than you do. To take control of your health and never be a victim again, follow these seven tenets:
1. Find a doctor who makes eye contact and asks personal questions. There’s no excuse for arrogance. If the doctor is staring at the medical record and doesn’t look at you, she won’t see you as a human being. You’re better off with no care at all than the shoddy care this doctor is about to give you. Just walk away – there’s always a better fit that might save your life.
2. Give up on trying to be the perfect patient. People don’t tell the truth to their doctors because they believe that will make them a good patient. People don’t ask questions because they are embarrassed and don’t want to upset the doctor. I say bollocks! The more you are your own advocate, the more likely you are to get good care. If the doctor doesn’t respect you or won’t answer your questions politely and patiently, walk. This doctor will do you more harm than good. Say goodbye to trying to be the perfect patient and hello to being a smart, self-protective patient.
3. Tell it like it is. Don’t lie. If the doctor asks a question, give a straight answer. The doctor’s office is the wrong place to be coy or a poor communicator. It’s your life, so treat it with respect and honesty. If the doctor doesn’t listen or is disinterested, leave. I promise there is a doctor who will care about you. Find that doctor.
4. Don’t let fear dictate your decisions. God bless the Internet. We now all have access to a glut of information. Unfortunately, most of it doesn’t apply to you. So while I do encourage you to surf the net, please don’t use the information to scare yourself into a panic. Most medical situations don’t require immediate decisions. Spend your time with the doctor expanding your information base. Ask about the risk-benefit ratio of any recommendation. If you’re not scared, you will easily find second opinions and perspectives that will truly help make your life better.
5. When in doubt, just say no. Don’t get pressured into a particular treatment just because the doctor is sure you need it. A 38-year-old patient of mine with a history abnormal Pap smears(sample of secretions and superficial cells of the uterine cervix and uterous) was told to have a hysterectomy to play it safe. The gynecologist told her she was getting too old to have children and her insurance would cover the procedure. Fortunately, she wasn’t a perfect patient and refused. Two years later she had a baby, and she’s doing great six years later. Moral of the story: You’re the only one who knows what’s right for you, and saying no may save your life and your reproductive organs. Not to mention that once you take it out you can never put it back in. Don’t forget that one please!
6. Don’t do it just because your insurance covers it. Patients with comprehensive insurance coverage often find themselves undergoing a slew of tests and procedures. Maybe that’s because insurance pays, or maybe it’s that the doctor wants protection from malpractice. Regardless of why, every test and procedure has risks, and there are no guarantees that doing more will lead to better outcomes. Ask your doctor: How will the results of this test or procedure affect the course of my treatment?
7. Take responsibility for fixing yourself. Great health rarely comes from pills, procedures and tests. Remember the saying: You are what you eat. It’s the absolute truth. Improve your diet, get some serious sleep, move off the couch, deal with your stressors and stop running to the doctors.
We’re encouraged to believe we’re superior, says Dr Erika Schwartz
Taught to ignore patients’ feelings and opinions (the essence of humanity)
Patients are no longer treated as a whole person, but individual body parts.
‘Doctors can never truly know more than you do about what is going on inside your body’
(Continued)
Dr. Zeeshan Khan works at CMH Hospital Lahore. He can be reached at:[email protected], He also tweets @DrZeeshanKhanA1