Person or disease? How do the healthcare pros see you?

[benedict]

Do your healthcare professionals treat you as a person who has diabetes or do they treat you as a walking disease?

This question came to mind after I read about the '#hellomynameis' campaign to get healthcare professionals to introduce themselves before giving treatment. The #hellomynameis came from Kate Granger who has terminal cancer but it made me curious to find out whether any of you have been treated more like a disease than person with a condition?

From my own experience, as a child, I remember being pointed to by a nurse and referred to as "the diabetic". Not the worst thing that can ever happen but enough for me never to have forgotten that moment of depersonalisation.

Have any of you had any similar/worse examples that struck you and how did it make it you feel?

Benedict

 

[Kat100]

Hi , I heard that debate as well ..

For me I always believe person first ...

These simple introduction skills are lost at times in large organisations ....

Some staff are often reminded patients are people ....but not everyone has the same values ..attitude etc....
I know communication is a two way process and everyone can complain about something .....I always think reflect on an experience afterwards..
Look at the good and the negative ...

However like here on this forum as discussed , we are people and sometimes a nice warm welcome is all we need just to,feel valued...

Or in the case of the NHS or care service or support service, communication is a key factor ...
I should add that I had to ask a very newly trained DR at my practice what his name was half way through my consultation ....I left my concerns with my own GP ....there is a feed back suggestions process.... Kat

 

[tim2000s]

I think it is dependent on how you approach the meeting. If you go in unprepared, with no plan as to what you want to talk about and aren't engaged, then they do see you as "disease".

If you go in and have clearly done the work, can articulate your concerns and are able to engage with them, then they see you as a person.

If you don't care enough, they don't want to expend the effort either!

 

[Daibell]

The big problem is the 10 minute appointment time (yes, more for diabetes). There is no time for the niceties or discussion. When I wanted to discuss my diabetes diagnosis with my diabetes GP she just said that she had 500 diabetes patients and therefore had the experience to know best and that my opinion or experience over 7 years didn't count and, yes, she was proven wrong in the end.

 

[Lamont D]

I must admit as being as I am something different that most people don't know about, I often get treated as being weird in a different way! I know from my stay in hospital that I must be treated as a sort of guinea pig. My consultant is though it's his job to experiment as mine is to. He does respect and tells me everything and he is compassionate and caring.
When I Tell somebody that I am allergic to carbs, I get that feeling sometimes that there's no way I saying anything but lies, the disbelief is sometimes galling. Indeed the hardest to convince is other diabetics and dieticians, as you must have carbs to function etc.
"How do you cope?" is a phrase often questioned.
I just do and just look at the difference, I Tell them.
My dsn, last week was dismissive as she tried to understand my condition, even though she went through the tests, you could tell that she still thought I was diabetic because of reading my history of symptoms.
When I told her I low carbed you could see her head ready to burst!
Then I told her about weight loss and the other health improvements she started scrolling through my history and the look of realisation that this lifestyle was working, well, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and the look was if she as if giving me the benefit of doubt.
She wished me well.
I have seen patients just routinely given treatment as if there was no one inside. It all depends on the person treating you.

 

[cold ethyl]

My care has been pretty uncoordinated and shoddy if I'm honest. The DN retired so lots of routine stuff has been handed down to the nurse assistant who knows less about diabetes than I did pre diagnosis- you only get to see the GP if you are " failing" at control so if you do make lots of changes he/ she hasn't a clue when they do talk to you about anything - it's nigh on impossible to get an appointment in person as it's all phone consultations most of the day. I had to speak to someone about my meds and luckily I got a trainee GP who others had told me was on the ball.. She treat me as not only a person but an equal in handling what is MY long term condition - a refreshing change as a type 2 who got the feeling everyone just wanted to say " it's all your own fault so just do as we tell you now as you obviously couldn't manage your own life before"

 

[sanguine]

They need to get away from the tick-box target-driven drug-pushing mentality (which goes with the 10 minute sessions) and rethink what they are actually supposed to be doing.

Apart from the junior GP who communicated my diagnosis I get on OK with mine though, and the DN. The fact that I'm motivated and controlled without medication despite what they feel they have to advise marks me out as a bit different from the rest I suppose. After my next bloods in March I'm going to offer to come in and give them a presentation on how I've done it.

 

[Enclave]

They need to get away from the tick-box target-driven drug-pushing mentality (which goes with the 10 minute sessions) and rethink what they are actually supposed to be doing.

Apart from the junior GP who communicated my diagnosis I get on OK with mine though, and the DN. The fact that I'm motivated and controlled without medication despite what they feel they have to advise marks me out as a bit different from the rest I suppose. After my next bloods in March I'm going to offer to come in and give them a presentation on how I've done it.

You are very lucky having someone who listen .. But the wife has said if I get a DNS who want to know how I control my sugars .. She will tell them out with the drs .. Bet no ones going to be dedicated or interested to want to do this ! It's just a job for them .. Unlike when the wife was working in horticultral retail .. Garden visits for pond care or plant problems were all done out with her paid time at work .. But then she knows her stuff and was happy to help.

 

[Kat100]

Having had many experiences with the NHS I have given more thought to,the debate by kate highlighted by this post ...

Yes always treat the person first ...good practice always ...

Then I thought about the saying hello my name is debate , and thought not all people with chronic illnesses are seen by a GP only, some are rushed into major trauma units ....With complications of......
At that stage I would not mind or even think about names , just good interventions by whoever could practice them ...to save a life ....

In this situation communication might come from different ways ...

 

[Sid Bonkers]

I have always found that I have been treated with respect and courtesy by my GP and the HCP's I have come into contact with and have always found them to be professional and caring.

The small group of people who I always seem to have problems with however are GP receptionists who I have over the years found to be extremely rude and uncaring, if I could avoid all contact with them I would happily do so..

 

[noblehead]

Probably only on a handful of occasions have I been dissatisfied with the treatment I've received from my HCP's, overall they are very professional and have treated me with respect.

@benedict, don't know if you heard the discussion on the Jeremy Vine show last week about Dr Granger's campaign, she was interviewed about her cancer treatment and why she decided to start the #hellomynameis off, she is one brave lady and and her story was very moving and upsetting.

 

[bobandpat]

My GP practice has 9 doctors (5 permanent and 4 locum) and I've probably seen them all over the 20-25 years I've been with them, and a few more who have retired. I've been at the same hospital for 41 years (since diagnosis) and seen 4 diabetes specialists in that time and lots of trainees. Because I never see the same person twice it's virtually always been 'hello Mrs Errmmm (paper shuffeling, eyes down, reading) followed by my surname. Understandable under the circumatances but wouldn't you just hope that they'd have looked before I went in?

As far as treatment is concerned I can't complain, they ask questions, I answer, they look at blood reults and tell me everything seems fine and I leave to carry on with my lowish carbing and reduced insulin that keeps my bloods good enough for them to think 'everything seems fine'

Must admit the receptionists are a pain, luckily I can now order a repeat script or make an appointment on the internet so I don't have to see them.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Definitely a person with GP. Person and disease from consultant.

 

[dancer]

For many years I felt it was the diabetic and not the person who was being treated at the clinic. The problem was, the doctors' stereotypical diabetic was someone who ate the wrong things, falsified test results and lied about it.

I haven't met such a doctor for years and now think they are trying to treat the person - but maybe that's because I normally ask to see my consultant now.

 

[andcol]

The other part of the question is - do you see a doctor or a person trying to help you. I think that relationship reinforces the behaviour.

 

[donnellysdogs]

I see both of mine trying to help me and they both see me as an individual when doing this. They bear in mind my lifestyle, my work etc. got to admit though that this has only happened since having my pump. Prior to that I was given zero help as an individual.

 

[Phlogiston]

I have found that most medical staff treat me like a person. I have a good gp practice, where I know many of the staff in and out of the surgery.
My science background probably helps the technical discussions, my long experience of working with people helps the interpersonal interactions.