Bad Medicine

On behalf of crappy clinicians everywhere I offer this apology. I'm sorry we don't do a better job of educating patients.

I went to the market this evening to do a bare essentials re-stock. The rotund little checkout girl was sniffling and coughing. She apologized for her condition and then went on to tell me how she was on "tons" of medication and an antibiotic. I told her that wouldn't help me and that I hoped I would leave the store without her bug. Then she said, "It's okay. It's allergies. My doctor told me it's allergies."

Allergies! Allergies? To what, ice and snow? There's not so much as a grain of pollen within 1000 miles of here. We don't even have dust this time of year. But more to the point, why would a doc put someone on antibiotics for allergies?

I left the store irritated with the young woman's ignorance and then I realized: She only knows what her doctor, nurse, or whatever, tells her. That is truly one of the shortcomings of our system. Providers either don't have the time or they are not compensated in a manner that makes it worth taking the time to talk. So, patients are often sent on their way with mis-, incomplete, or no information at all. People get handed a prescription and pointed to the door. The pharmacy gives the patient a sheet or two of information that most patients either don't read or don't understand. Next thing you know the snot-nosed, misinformed, misdiagnosed, and fully medicated patient is scanning groceries and telling people she has allergies-- in Michigan, on March 4th, with a temperature of 29 degrees outside and snowing!

Every patient does not need to be provided with a medical education but they do deserve a reasonable explanation of their condition and treatment. Every doctor has the obligation to slow down, pay attention, and effectively communicate, aka, do a good job of being a "healthcare provider." Good grief!