Just watched "can you trust your doctor"

[Meewah]

Hi all

Just watched the first 30 mins of this Channel 4 dispatches documentary on the other night. I have to say it scared the living daylight out of me. I will now be getting two opinions on any symptoms I present to the doctor. Last time I visited the docs to arrange to see a ENT specialist about my hearing loss, I mentioned the tightness in my chest and pain in my left hand. His answer was " lets get the hearing sorted first" Our lives are in these peoples hands and they are answerable to nobody.

After the first 30 mins I felt I had some of the symptoms the test patients presented. Awful!! I turned it off and deleted as it did my Health anxiety no good at all. Did anyone else watch it? What did you think?


Mee

[eva82]

If I watched a show like that in the state I'm in right now then you might as well lock me uP and throw away the key!!! I've seen similar shows and they just affect me too much to sit through an entire episode. Here in the states we have the Dr. Oz show and I swear everytime he explains the symptoms of any horrible disease I immediately think I have it! My doctor has begged me to stay away from such Programs as I just can't be rational at all when it comes to health related topics. He claims that scare tatics = huge ratings!

[skyisblue]

You about 7 years ago when I wasn't a hypochondriac yet, I can still remember that I was a BIG fan of Urban Angels of Medicine. I've always wanted to become a doctor. I kept on watching medical documentaries and whatnot.

Fast forward to my HA self, I can't imagine that I was capable of doing such!

Even ordinary public medical information makes me go bananas! It's like if I hear something about a particular sickness, it makes me think that I have it too. Ugh!

[mel78]

I refuse to watch programmes about medicine, full stop. House, Holby City, Grey's Anatomy - even Scrubs for crying out loud! I just avoid them all, makes life that little bit easier. Dr Oz in particular is terrifying - I don't know why anybody would watch that programme. Seriously, life is too short.

[blondinou]

Hey, I'm a medical student, and just wanted to offer a view on this. I agree that a few doctors don't listen or take our problems seriously (I have experienced this myself, a doctor got my arm tingling completely wrong, said it was a trapped nerve not panic). I agree that some specialists are only interested in their bit and nothing else (for example this ENT doc that wanted to sort the hearing and not the chest tightness) - this is not good practice.
However... not all doctors are like this, it's just varied. Some are rubbish (I have seen them in my training). But others are really good. Remember that they have had years of training and seen thousands of patients. The first thing we are taught in medical school is to be safe doctors - to always investigate alarm bell symptoms that could be signs of serious disease. Remember their job is on the line if they send you away and miss a serious illness, so it's in their interest too to make sure you're safe.

Programmes like that documentary are scare tactics I agree. Don't watch them especially if you have anxiety. The whole media publishes scary stories constantly (e.g. "Being overweight increases your risk of cancer 10 fold!!!!") Please try and remember that 99% of doctors are very conscientious and care about their patients, and want to help them. I hope that I can use my own experiences with health anxiety to help my patients when I'm a doctor!

[xhyperyogix]

MY DOCTOR IS FAB!!

I just wanted to share this since I suppose docs are like people - there are great ones and not so great. I have been extremely fortunate. In fact I have just written a thank you card to my doc. She has been amazing over hte last 6 months and been so understanding, supportive and level-headed. She is brilliant at her job, and got me out of a right ol mess! Yesterday, she pronounced me 'anxiety-free' which was brilliant (even though obviously I knew it myself ha ha !) and put things on repeats prescription, and said I didn;t have to see her unless I feel the need to. At one point she blocked out 30 mins at the same time every weds for me.

I have also had a great psychotherapist for about 2 years. Both of these people have proved invaluable to me. And they will continue to be too.

Lots a love Hyper xxx

[HarvestMoon]

The majority of doctors do a good, and difficult, job.

However, the shocking thing for me is that they are unregulated so the bad ones don't get caught. I can't believe there is no rigorous system of regular assessment.

[Gemma T]

My doctors are fab! In fact there is only 1 doc at my health centre who I don't like. Not bcoz she aint gd at her job, she's one of the best. She's just a judgmental heartless so and so x x x

[nomorepanic]

I was going to post about this as I knew people would watch it and freak out!

The incidents highlighed problem GP's but the pretend patients went to 2 other doctor's and were sent for more tests.

Those involved were reported and some never made it to the GMC register so had no reprmiand at all.

I was enlightened to some conditions on the programme that I would have wrongly diagnosed!

My Advice to members is always refer people to a doctor and do not diagnose conditions and if you are worried about a doctor then get a 2nd opinion.


What I really want to stress here is that we cannot diagnose medical conditions and I truely urge people to add something along the lines of "I am not a doctor but this is my personal experience".

[Chem]

I so agree with Nic.

People come on here with a list of symptoms or the name of a drug they've been on and ask for opinions as to the diagnosis and treatment. They forget to mention they also have/had other medical conditions.

It's not possible for anyone (doctors included) to diagnose someone without a full medical history and much of the diagnosis will be made on how you actually look and sound at the time of examination. No-one on here is qualified to diagnose and it's not safe to say anything except what is your own personal experience. Our individual medical histories are so different.

[Bruno58]

Well its a good question!
In a word...no...unless you can verify afterwards what the doctor told you is in fact what has been written in your notes by said doctor...:winks:

Sometimes my doc has been consistent...last time I saw him he wasn't.
I'm not sure why..yet...:noangel:

J.

[ronski]

The programme title was a tad misleading as they were only investigating already known incompetent doctors. Mind you there is a fine dividing line between under cautious and over cautious, both of which could be argued as incompetent.
I think the issue is do the doctors take the patients symptoms seriously and in my experience a huge number on a first visit don't, on subsequent visits probably but I feel until doctors stop behaving and thinking that they are god like then the issues will continue.

[happycamper]

I've congratulated myself that I didn't watch it, a year or so ago I would have and got myself into an even more anxious mess, I'm sure.
I'm a qualified nurse and hear of bad practice and errors from people both personally and professionally, but we always hear the bad and infrequently the good.
Good two sided communication is so important.

[Magic]

I watched some of the programme as i could,nt resist switching over now and again. One particular thing i noticed is that the patients did not ask their doctors themselves if they could have more tests.
I'm pretty sure you are entitled to ask.
I went to see a GP with a relitive a few years ago. I could not believe it.
She told him what was wrong and he wrote a script without raising his head to look at her.
My Gp is great (touch wood)

[Meewah]

I so agree with Nic.

It's not possible for anyone (doctors included) to diagnose someone without a full medical history and much of the diagnosis will be made on how you actually look and sound at the time of examination. No-one on here is qualified to diagnose and it's not safe to say anything except what is your own personal experience. Our individual medical histories are so different.

I think that's the problem, My medical history clearly details that 4 years ago that I had extensive Cardio vascular checks including 24 hr ECG, Heart scan, Stress test and that my previous doctor told me to "stop with the heart tests" I feel they now look at my notes and put it all down to anxiety and that I had a clean bill of health 4 years ago means a clean bill of heart health now.

I cant stop feeling they don't listen to me any more!!! I sometimes wish I could delete the anxiety stuff as I feel it clouds there judgement. Well I know it clouds mine.

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback about the majority of Doctors. Its just how do you know if you have a bad one??

Mee

[Bruno58]

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback about the majority of Doctors. Its just how do you know if you have a bad one??

Mee

Write a letter to the Practice Manager at your surgery and request copies of your GP's medical records, keep 2 copies of your letter for yourself.

They have to comply with your request, it will probably cost some money.

Ask me if you need any further infomation about this.

J.