Doctors need to earn our trust

A lot of us here have been let down by our doctors, when they either: failed to diagnose or treat a condition properly; overtreated us, particularly with drugs that were unnecessary and had bad side effects or risks; or pressured us, talked down to us, or dismissed our knowledge and preferences.

I think they sometimes forget that they need to earn our trust, and when they get it wrong, they make it very hard for us to have confidence in them in the future. Aside from the physical and psychological harm that their mistakes cause us, there is also the fearful, isolated feeling we get, when we have health issues but we don't feel like they, or other doctors, can and will help us. I've experienced that many times and it is an awful feeling.

If we were tested for diabetes and they failed to tell us for months or years (eg prediabetes), or they failed to tell us how much we were at risk and what we needed to do about it, or focussed on drugs instead of diet and exercise, we feel rightfully angry and hurt. The challenge is then: what happens the next time there is a new set of symptoms or a diagnosis? Can we trust them? Should we trust them?

Based on past performance, we can't fully trust them. But we still need them. We might learn an enormous amount about diabetes, but that is only one condition. What happens when we get something else and there isn't a forum like this one, and useful information about it is hard to find? We need a way to benefit from their knowledge, and their ability to refer us to the right people if needed. But we also need to stay vigilant, and question their statements and recommendations, while not alienating them by being too obvious about it.

Some doctors are the kind of people who will feel threatened when a patient asks even a basic, reasonable question about something. Those doctors we should probably fire, if we can. Doctors at the other end of the spectrum will welcome our questions and even our contributions. Those are the keepers, and we need more of them, in general practice and in every specialty.

There is also the opportunity to make a formal complaint, and I think complaints can really improve the quality of the services for everyone. Incompetent or arrogant doctors need to be held accountable. Supportive, caring, and respectful doctors need to be celebrated and appreciated.

What are your thoughts on these issues?

photognut said:

I've changed doctors surgery due the consistent incompetence and misdiagnoses leaving me with little faith or trust left. Saying that, my new GP is very sweet, nice and caring but still restrained within a tick box system. She is currently excited about FODMAP research....
The evolution and development of vaccines has been an enormous benefit to global health - I still can't help feeling we have entered the era of regression and I'm not blaming the medical profession for this! We have become a society revolving around convenience food. The days that witnessed transferable life skills of how to grow your own veg to cooking it being passed from generation to generation has been interrupted. My personal view, the medical profession is dealing with an array of diseases manifesting from malnutrition and manufactured toxicities making it impossible for them to be effective in diagnosis, let alone the correction of it.
The place I lay may trust is in the Paramedics, Surgeons and Nurses that put you back together, pulling you out of crisis - providing you get there in time. Then you have to help yourself too

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I'm glad you changed to a doctors surgery you feel better about. I have done the same thing too. They still make mistakes but they are smaller ones, in my experience. I try to understand everything they say and I ask questions. My current GP is also sweet, nice and caring... so much so that when she empathises with me it really shows in her face. I sometimes wish she would be more neutral-looking, lol. I shouldn't complain... some doctors look at you like they don't give a **** about your symptoms. They sure are a mixed bunch, like any profession... I need them, so I have to try and make the best of it.

graj0 said:

I wonder how big the problem really is? My present GPs are great and have been very supportive when I told that them that despite NICE, NHS, Eatwell plate, I was going low carb. They just warned me of potential hypos while taking gliclazide and lowering carbs. Very wise, helped me drop Gliclazide all together. I try to work with my GPs rather than it being a fight for my rights. Same goes for when I stopped taking statins. I'm not sure that we're in a position to think anybody who has spent a good many years studying medicine, working in hospitals before even specialising as a GP should have to earn our trust. I don't think we have an option when we're ill. Only a thought.

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Of course we have options. Just because we are ill does not mean we should accept everything they say without question. Only in an emergency situation would I do that, and only to the extent necessary according to the circumstances. I have huge respect for their lengthy training and their immense knowledge, which will always be greater than mine. However, they are human, they make mistakes, and they need us to work as partners and let them know when something is not right. Like any relationship, trust is built over time. It is a mistake to trust them too much or not at all, IMO.

Enclave said:

I have never known the wife go and see our Dr ... She cannot trust them and no matter how Unwel she is will not let me phone for a Dr ... She supports my need for Drs and yes I have had some dreadful advice and treatment from them.
The wife says that doctors are just people that are doing their job ... They have off days and people they will dislike and not want to be seeing ... Guess I am one of the disliked people by my Drs. The wife is one of the unknowns ....

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I don't think the dreadful advice and treatment is the result of not being liked by them. It's more likely due to incompetence on their part.

Good points, @donnellysdogs . I think the NHS and GPs do sometimes admit their mistakes, but the issue of diet causing diseases is very complex. I believe a high carb diet does contribute those diseases you mentioned. But so do genes and other factors. So it would be very difficult to prove in a court that the NHS dietary advice "wholly or substantially" caused the diseases. I think within the next 5 years the results of the studies that are currently underway will force the NHS to change its advice. It may not admit it was wrong, say sorry, or pay anyone money, but at least the next generation will not suffer like we did.

Robinredbreast said:

http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/AboutTheTrust...d-diabetes-among-UK-health-professionals.aspx

This article shows how lie threatening this condition is. My granddaughter, age 2 1/2 years, nearly lost her life because of a doctor's incompetence in A&E. The doctor was told that her mum had talked to her GP about diabetes because of some symptoms, GP suggested trying to get a urine sample but GD was still in nappies at the time. This was mentioned to the A & E doctor when GD was taken to hospital early evening, doctor seemed to disregard what was said and doctor said it was a virus/viral infection. My GD was sent home, but during the night my GD became incredibly ill, was driven to hospital in her dad's works van, ( luckily they lived very near) and was on the HDU, High Dependency Unit fighting for her life. She had to be stabilised, had tubes coming out of her, lying there with just a nappy on and an oxygen mask strapped to her face and her breathing was laboured. It still upsets so much, but luckily she pulled through and made a good recovery, but sadly some children ( and adults) don't make it, It can be a killer if undiagnosed. A simple finger prick test is all that is initially needed.

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I totally agree. And, so relieved that your dear little GD made it through!

Scardoc said:

I think if you fire everyone who has ever had the audacity to make a mistake in any profession then the vast majority of the country will be unemployed.
There’s no news like bad news and yes, some people have suffered terribly through bad advice or mistakes that GP’s have made, but how many as a percentage of all the consultations that have ever taken place? If the media concerned themselves as much with the good news stories then there would be a very different outlook. A GP is a General Practitioner, they spend years being educated in diagnosing and require years of experience in surgeries to gain the knowledge required. They will never have the knowledge that some people believe they should have, it’s not possible.

I think it’s sad when you believe that they need to earn our trust. They have my trust simply by doing the job. I would hate to go home every night having seen the misery and tragedy that they see day after day and question whether I could have done more, seen something quicker or made the right judgement.
Being judgemental and generalising is normally quick to receive a backlash on this forum, except it seems when your attacking the GP’s.

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I've been careful to make qualified statements so as not to generalise. One person's "being judgmental" is another person's logically assessing a situation. If you have never suffered because of a doctor's mistake, then good for you. Most of us have, and we are prudent to be careful after such experiences. I have tremendous respect for my current GP - she gets it right almost all of the time. But I don't switch off my skepticism just because she is well trained. I think blind faith is foolish.