Originally Posted by The Historian

While we are bashing the medical profession, I'd like to add chiropractors to the list. Every one I've met thinks my spinal curve is a dollar sign, and some of them have told me some of the most outlandish things .... they can "cure" it, or that I'm one of the "worst cases we've seen." (My Cobb's angle is six degrees, which is pretty mild.) While I have had some 'adjustment' from them from time to time, I don't think much of the profession.

Originally Posted by JohnA42

Any MD who can't diagnose gout in your big toe from 10 meters needs to go back to med school. And, for the record, an X-ray isn't going to tell him what he needs to know. You need to do blood work and check for uric acid levels, though even that can be inconclusive. As a patient, you only need to have gout diagnosed once; you'll never mistake it for anything.

Originally Posted by JohnA42

Nothing, in fact, except some extremely mild tendinitis and bursitis. Eventually the pain went away, but no thanks to any doctors.

Originally Posted by dgrenthum

@ecovelo

I aggree with much of what you are saying and my reply was a mishmash of replying to many posts that were made so perhaps taken a little further then intended if you were not the one it was directed at. Thanks for the level headed reply.

As for the specialist comment, I agree with you specialist are a little different ball game, especially if they have been doing it for awhile. If you go to ortho and your chest hurts they make sternum rather than heart. They do look at problems from the perspective of the systems they specialize in and always seem to relate everything back to them. I find too many people nowadays like to go to a specialist first cause they "know what the problem is" as opposed to a primary care phyisician who might give some alternatives.

about the cost driving tests. I havent seen the issue to the degree you imply. Typically there is a set list of test before going to MRI or something as expensive but it also depends on the severity problem and the insurance involved. So i sort of agree, However, In my experience it is second to CYA. If you have to go before a licensing board about failure to perform and why something wasnt done, it cost too much, probably wont save the license.

about collabaration: This was directed at thsoe complaining about cost. 20 years ago you basically did what the doctor told you to do for an issue. Now you can have more input and there is always a different doctor to see if you dont like the answer you are getting. I suppose what i was trying ot get across is if test are benig ordered you dont have an understanding, ask. Perhaps there are other alternatives or i see fairly often where (especially in the case of blood) extra labs are ordered that may be insignificant but since you are there and you are having blood drawn, they add them. It will paint a more complete picture to your health status but not be relevant to your current complaint, just saying talk to them and work together decide what you need vs be nice to have. You are right though there are plenty of docs that dont want to be collaborative and if you dont want to do the test that they want, they in a nice maner say take-a hike.

as for your last little bit, perhaps where I fail, is being able to explain thing in laymans terms. It seems i can say the kidneys are not filter XYZ because of ABC but usually i get a blank stare. Or i get a why and then i go deeper and more blank stares. I will have to look into that.

I definitely agree with the industry not being driven by medical professionals. I woudl surmize most hospitals are owned by business people not medical professionals.