Article worth sharing

[Just Steve]

http://www.epmonthly.com/columns/in-my-opinion/treating-a-nation-of-anxious-wimps/

 

I found it to be a fun read.

[xxbowiexx]

“Our best medicines are Tincture of Time and Elixir of Neglect.”.... so true

[andersenpa]

I thought it was a Bolus of Propofol and an Aliquot of Cisatracurium.....

[kd4029]

I liked it.... but how do ya'll feel about the comment posted at the bottom titled "Empathy"? I think that is a good response and he makes a good point... it's not all the patient's faults.

[Corpsman2PA]

"Dr. Oz, The Doctors, Oprah and a host of daytime talk shows make the smallest issues seem like apocalyptic pandemics" <---- Now that's funny, I don't care who you are...Great article Steve.

[treejay]

This was a good article, and I agree with lots of it. I gravitate towards the style of being direct yet supportive with patients.

 

And I like the comment that kd4029 pointed out titled "Empathy". That MD also has some very good points, but I'll disagree with the guy where he says 95% is the systems fault and 5% are the patient's fault. While it's true people go to the ED because they don't have other access to care, too many Americans have unhealthy lifestyles that bring them there in the first place. And that could be, like Mr. "Empathy" MD points out that they don't have access to preventative care, still, MOST people know that eating fast food everyday, drinking sodas, eating chips and candy bars daily, not excercising, and smoking are unhealthy lifestyle choices. I don't think a primary care clinician is required to educate patients on these most basic of points. I am a strong proponent of personal accountability, and to attribute a mere 5% of the "blame" towards patients and 95% towards the system doesn't seem palatable or realistic.

[Deon]

Thanks for the article. I am going to share it with my psychology class.

[Planteater]

thank you for sharing! I had to post this one to my facebook and share.

[ventana]

"We are taught to fear vaccinations, mold, shark attacks, airplanes and breast implants when we really should worry about smoking, drug abuse, obesity, cars and basic hygiene. If you go by pharmaceutical advertisement budgets, our most critical health needs are to have sex and fall asleep."

 

that is oh so true

 

 

"We’ve become a nation of hypochondriacs. Every sneeze is swine flu, every headache a tumor. And at great expense, we deliver fantastically prompt, thorough and largely unnecessary care. There is tremendous financial pressure on physicians to keep patients happy. But unlike business, in medicine the customer isn’t always right. Sometimes a doctor needs to show tough love and deny patients the quick fix. "

 

So now when a patient asks for a Z-pak for their 2 days of cold symptoms "because my doctor always gives it to me" I get to happily say 'NO' :-)