Trust for Doctors

[rikka]

I trust doctors but it depends on what institution they are from. There are those here in my city who are employed in big hospitals but they give lousy services. For example, it takes them too much time to come up with a diagnosis even with their modern facilities. Do they take the patients for ATM? The only institution I probably trust for diagnosis is my sister's alma mater because we know the outcome of the training, and the services are good. The room rates are fine (perhaps the least expensive among private hospitals here in the city because everyone else still think of our hospital as backward), so you know you are not being abused financially.


However, much as I trust them, I tend to just find alternatives to take care of my health so I don't go to the doctor. Preventive rather than curative measures. That's also because the city is congested with cars and it is a hassle just to go for a checkup. And you're only there for a few minutes in the clinic.

 

[oportosanto]

I don't have a big trust for doctors for the simple reason that many of them have more interest in making money than to cure people. So basically, as far as I see it, these days medicine and health is more a business than a public service that should look out for us and most doctors are just a part of that.

 

[x0xLikeMex0x]

I had a bad experience last time when I went to the emergency room because of my nosebleeds. Basically after I had paid for the visit, all they did was convince me that I had no reason to be there, since my nose wasn't bleeding anymore. They pretty much yelled me for stopping my nosebleed. I had no idea where to go with that problem. It was Friday evening and I couldn't go to my family doctor either. I left the emergency room 15-20 minutes later and after I'd left, I had to stop my next nosebleed in a mall's toilet, just 10 minutes after I'd left the hospital. 


I'm not going back to that hospital.

 

[djanx]

Well, I know that a lot of doctors do try to prescribe pharmaceutical products that pay them well. But, this is why you should always go for second opinions. I mean distrust is a different thing, but there is no option but to use a doctor when things are bad. So, why not take second opinions? Also, do what I did, and go around if possible. Jump from Doc to Doc if needed until you find a doctor who's medicines or therapies suit you and then stick to that doctor.

 

[explorerX7]

I have to rely on the doctor to try to alliviate a medical problem. And I have to just maintain this blind trust in the efforts of the doctor because unlike a car, for exmaple, which I may be able to have an idea of whats happening, I am completely clueless because I dont have the competence to diagnose myself. The major concern is that I have seen persons attending different doctors for the same problem and they receieve a different diagnosis from each doctor. Therefore, when I vist a doctor I have to just hope that his diagnosis will be true.

 

[111kg]

I don't have a big trust for doctors for the simple reason that many of them have more interest in making money than to cure people. So basically, as far as I see it, these days medicine and health is more a business than a public service that should look out for us and most doctors are just a part of that.

As a person who has failed 3 times the test for the medical school, this is an extremely ignorant thing to say. Who would spend their youth and their health learning huge amount of information (without it you can't pass the medical school) only to make money?


It's so easy for the people to believe everything that's said in the media and put aside everything else. This is exactly the type mentality that Trump would like all his voters to have.

 

[oportosanto]

You may say it's ignorance, but I know from experience that some doctors perform surgeries and instead of fixing all the problems they see, they leave it there so that the patients return later and pay some more. I do respect your opinion though.

 

[Ania]

I really on't trust the doctors in my country, they have failed me so many times.  Fortunately (or unfortunately) I am now living in another country, I have heard awful things about the healthcare here,  things like doctors not being good and the health care costing too much.  So far I can vouch for the later, I have yet to check the former...   


I've been experiencing this awful pain in my jaw, but I have yet to get an appointment to get that checked... We don't have money right now... and over here you have to pay not only the monthly fee (100+ euros) plus a $375  ''self' risk'' fee.  That $375 fee is yearly... but I have no money right now   I honestly hope they health care is not as bad as they say here, from what i heard giving birth at home (with the help of a midwife) is very common here.  Thankfully I am not pregnant... 

 

[Choochoo]

I wouldn't say I don't trust doctors because it's too much of a generalization. I don't trust a lot of them because I feel a few of them are just out to push drugs and also a lot of people treat them as the end all be all of physical health knowledge but I always try and be aware that at the end of the day these are still just people with all their own opinions and faults so in that way I don't think I'm entirely skeptical of their abilities but I just approach it with a bit of realism. 

 

[Nakitakona]

I live in a small city wherein there are limited doctors. Since I was a kid, my family had a favorite doctor whom we considered as our family doctor. It is very luck for us, especially in the whole community where we live, that doctor is expert on his field of expertise. He had a lot of patients cured. He is well regarded by everyone as the best doctor ever.

We are comfortable for him. He doesn't only diagnose us of our illness and dispense the effective medicines, but he gives us some pieces of advice on how to maintain our health, our well-being to stay well and normal. Now, we have another family doctor for the first one was already passed away.

 

[fuzyon]

I'm not really that afraid of doctors, most of them are skilled enough and since they spent years studying at the highest level and trained extensively beforehand the likeliness of making a mistake is not that high. Of course, this applies to surgeons in general since they have the hardest job to do but I haven't had too much trouble with the doctors I've encountered so far in my life, even the dentists are nice to me and they've done their jobs well. 

 

[tomorrow]

I do not trust doctors fully not because they are not nice to me but most of them are greedy for money.  They are part of drug mafia and prescribe unnecessary medicines just for earning commission from drug merchants.  They prescribe antibiotics even for common diseases and end up destroying the immunity of patients.  Kids are the worst affected and normal parents never understand how harmful it can be for their kids. 


In our country new hospitals and private clinics are coming up like anything which is a not a good sign.  It means they find a better market here as most of the people are affected with various diseases.   Indiscriminate use of antibiotics makes the situation further uneasy.  So doctors are not doing what they suppose to do. 

 

[thisnthat]

It feels like that these days less and less people are trusting their doctors, and while I can see why, especially here in the UK where they have been subjected to that many cutbacks it's almost impossible for them to do their jobs like they once could, if you can't trust your own doctor then who can you trust? A doctor or a nurse used to be more of a vocation than just a job, but now it feels like a lot of the time when you go to the doctor they aren't interested in helping, but more concerned with getting you in and out of the office as fast as possible so they can get the next patient in, and so that isn't going to help the situation either.


Also, when it comes to dealing with anxiety and depression, a lot of doctors aren't qualified to treat those conditions and so the first thing (and sometimes only thing) they do is refer you to a counsellor and that in itself can give you a feeling that they don't care and can't be trusted when in reality they are just trying to cover their own backs because they don't have the knowledge to deal with you.

I was just having this conversation with a family member. They keep you waiting forever then rush in and rush through the appointment and then they're gone again. It seems more like an assembly line than a visit with a caring physician. It's no wonder people feel a lack of trust, if you ask me.


If you don't feel like you can trust your doctor, I think you should find another one. Keep looking until you find one that you are comfortable with and who listens to you. I guess I don't really distrust all doctors, but there are some that leave me questioning. I recently had to ask for a second opinion because of that.


As for mental health, I think I'd want to see someone who specializes in the field instead of just the regular physician.

 

[pwarbi]

Doctors have got a lot better when it comes to dealing with mental health issues, but like you say, I also think that problems such as that need to be dealt with by a fully qualified professional rather than a doctor that doesn't specialise in that field. More and more people are being made aware about the risks of mental health problems but there still isn't enough money being invested into dealing with the problem, and that isn't the actual doctors fault but more the governments I guess at the end of the day.


If funding is being cut, then it's hardly surprising that people aren't being treated as well as they once was and these days it seems as if while the doctors are trying to do their best, the people in charge, the ones who can afford the best health insurance aren't making the situation any easier for anybody.

 

[thisnthat]

Well, this will probably be unpopular, but I think *some* doctors are too quick to make a diagnosis of depression or other mental/emotional issues and then quickly write up a prescription. Sometimes, depression may be caused by an illness, especially a chronic one, and is merely a symptom of a larger problem.

I think I would want a second opinion before I'd consider taking most of those meds. They are quite powerful and should only be prescribed if really needed. These days, they seem to want to put people on anti-depressants for everything. Depression is the catch-all "diagnosis" that allows them to quickly move on to the next person. They have to keep those appointments rolling, every ten minutes. Like that's enough time to thoroughly treat someone. Sigh.

 

[to7update]

You are quite right @miguel, you are not the only one who lacks trust in doctors, I think it's a generalized feeling. The same happens everywhere, like you are saying @thisnthat some doctors don't even talk to us, they simply prescribe us something and schedule the next appointment. Is this the right way to practice medicine? Is this the best way to help us? Or is this just business for them?

 

[Holmes22]

I have a hard time trusting anyone that I go an see, but I think that it is just me and my personal issue, but I also bet that others are the same way, to an extent at least. I know that it took me a while to find a good one, and anyone else I would be a little hesitant to trust now.

 

[to7update]

I don't know if it's just a personal issue @Holmes22, for the simple fact that many people think like you. I do ask a lot of questions when I am at the doctor, I mean, I just don't accept what he/she says and I want to understand why I am being diagnosed that way and why I am being prescribed those drugs. By asking questions and listening to the answers we just might gain some trust, or look for another doctor!

 

[thisnthat]

You are quite right @miguel, you are not the only one who lacks trust in doctors, I think it's a generalized feeling. The same happens everywhere, like you are saying @thisnthat some doctors don't even talk to us, they simply prescribe us something and schedule the next appointment. Is this the right way to practice medicine? Is this the best way to help us? Or is this just business for them?

When I was little, the family doctor was a very caring older man. He was like a grandpa who would actually talk to us. He would always call later to check and see how we were doing.

These days, I think it is just business for a lot of doctors. It doesn't feel like it's "a calling" for many of them, like it once was. They seem more concerned with making money than taking care of people. That makes it harder for me to trust them. If I feel like they put their own best interest first (mainly, their wallet), rather than my interests, why should I trust that they will do what's best for me? I'm not surprised that other people feel this way too. It's definitely not the way it used to be.

 

[to7update]

That's something so important @thisnthat, a doctor who actually cares and calls later to check on us. That is pretty much lost these days as for doctors we are nothing more than a number and they just follow protocols regarding of what we have. What sort of trust does this give to the patient? Nothing. It's just business like you say, just business.