Health and Medicine

How To Choose Your Treating Physician and Adjust Your Expectations

The more expensive does not necessarily mean the better.

In 2016, A Study was established to try to explore the extent to which consumer decision making based on Web-based reviews is the same for consumer services (ie, choice of a hotel) and health services (ie, choice of a pediatrician). The Conclusion? Individuals only trust review information to choose a hotel but refuse to fully rely on it for selecting a physician.

Well… I decided that I will share with you a guide on how to choose your treating physician. More along the way, I’ll help you understand Medicine in a way closer to how your Doctor studied it; This should bring you closer to being able to understand him and effectively, and… gets you well faster!

If you take Medicine and try to compare it with some of the widely practiced professions such as Accounting, Engineering, etc. There is one huge difference that people — i.e patients — hardly get, and that is relativity.

Medicine is relative, there is no absolute. 1+1=2 doesn’t apply in medicine, For example, taking your medicine doesn’t mean that you should get better. You don’t believe me, well, then let me explain more.

Charlie, a 46 years old man, comes to the clinic showing signs of heart failure. I start talking to him and know more about him, his lifestyle, his tolerance to medications, his past medical conditions, and his worries. I might have studied heart failure in college, but I did not study Charlie. I won’t be treating every 46 years old with Heart Failure the same way I would treat Charlie.

Yes, you got it… Charlie is human, and humans are unique!

That is not to say that with common medical conditions, the protocols for treatment are not the same. But, what I am saying is, the more complex the condition, the more personalized your treatment will be.

Now that we have some common grounds, let’s start showing you how to pick your treating physician — If your healthcare/insurance allows you.

Choose A Physician Who Admits He Made a Mistake.

Admitting I have done a mistake as a physician is serious, and takes a lot of courage. As Doctors, we try our best in refining our judgment of your illness and make the right decision. Although even at the start of treatment, which is always the hardest step, we can have inaccurate assessments. Rather than finding loopholes in the system, a physician who admits he made a mistake and knows better to rectify it is always worthy of your trust.

Professors Are Not Always Your Best Pick.

Professors and tertiary unit consultants are often interested in complex cases, as such, they won’t be your best treating physician If your condition is not that complex. So, You will end up with one of them If your condition requires it. But most of the time, You need your local physician/GP who knows you well and has spent with you many consultations as he would be able to deal with your illness better.

Be Careful When You Follow A Word of Mouth.

People always give their opinion based on their experience, which would have a fair amount of accuracy If both of you are going to Starbucks to order the same coffee. But, For Medicine, chances are, both of you have different conditions. And even If you have the same condition, both of you have lots of variables that make you entirely different, such as the severity of your condition, your adherence to treatment, your immunity, etc. It is endless.

If You Are Paying

If you are paying to see a specific physician or surgeon, I am sorry to make it more complicated for you, but the more expensive doesn't necessarily mean the better.

“It is very expensive to give bad medical care to poor people in a rich country.” — Paul Farmer

I have known a friend who traveled from the UK to Egypt to get Lasic Surgery for both of his eyes — including 10 days sunny vacation — cheaper than the price offered him privately in the UK.

Private Medicine prices depend on many factors such as the Hospital/Surgery’ cut, the Physician’s profit, the managing partner’s profit, the demand, etc. So don’t be fooled.

Prevention Is Better Than Treatment.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle, eat green and moderate. Keep your body active, your body acts as a container for your soul, so give it its respect. Don’t underestimate taking time out of your routine to maintain your physical/Mental health.