Welcome to Discussions

Hello all

In the UK our Family Doctor (i live alone so not exactly family!) is also known as your GP or General Practioner.  I am not sure how you describe the american version of this but hopefully you know what i am talking about.

I wanted to ask everyone how they get on with their GP?  How does he treat you?  Does he look at you when you are in his surgery?  Have you had to change GP's for some reason?

I use my GP as the same way most people do.  Repeat prescriptions, to refer you to a specialist etc.  Providing you telephone the surgery between 8.30am - 9.30am you are pretty much guaranteed an appointment that day.  Outside that time, they ask you to call the next day or in an emergency telephone the out-of-hours doctor or go to hospital.

When i am seeing my doctor he sits there looking at his computer and not me.  I now go in there and don't say a word until he makes eye contact.  I have never felt comfortable or valued with this doctor, infact more of a pain than anything else.  Like most of us on this site we have permenant conditions and the last thing i want to become is a nuisance but it often is the case that u see your GP pretty regular.

I have had other doctors in my life but it is only before computers that i felt i was being treated with respect.  What is your view on this?  It has been suggested that i change doctors.  There is only one other doctor at this surgery and my next door neighbour says she is the same as mine.  This is the only practice that i can get to on my own (via bus) and travelling further afield when you are not well isn't exactly great so i am just putting up with it.

I appreciate any comments you would like to make.

Regards, Chris x

I have had the same "primary physician' (our US term) for 12 years and he is great.  He gives me all the attention I need, attends to new symptoms, and cheers for those conquered.  He tries new prescriptions when I seem to have outlived or developed a tolerance to the current one, and never looks at his computer, but always at me.

 

Here, we have an insurance system that allows usually 15 minute appointments, so he simply books that way, and then spends the amount of time needed on each patient.  This can mean a long in-office wait, but those of us in his practice know that it is well worth the time.  [I have sometimes waited several hours; I bring my books, lunch, blanket, and get all set.]

 

He referes me to specialists as he sees fit or at my request, but does not demand it if I feel that something is not right for me.   He will simply keep bringing it up until it is on my time.  I cannot give Dr. Jeffrey Loman enough credit for his 12 years of care, and will continue to drive 2 1/2 hours, now that we have moved, to see him.

 

When I have had an emergency, he has been quick to turn up at the hospital, or call in with very specific instructions, and to see me the next am if I come in at night.  He has "forgiven" my bills when I have had problems with insurance, and his office staff is first rate.  He won't tolerate anything else.  He is the epitome of the great doctor.  bonnie

In the US, Family Practice  is now a specific field where a doctor trains for three years following medical school.  The old GP model, anyone could be a GP after just one year extra training, and we don't have very many of these anymore.  FPs are trained to care for patients of all ages, from birth, (and some do prenatal care and deliver babies) through childhood, adulthood and the elderly.  They work in outpatient settings a lot, and sometimes nursing homes, homeless shelters, even house calls sometimes!  They can handle uncomplicated acute and chronic disease management in many cases, conditions ranging from depression to pneumonia to Type 2 diabetes.  Some adults see an internist for general adult care.  They also have 3 years training, mostly hosptial based caring for sick adults.  My personal preference is to see an FP instead of an internist if I have the choice.  I feel like I am seen as one person with chronic illnesses, rather than a collection of broken organs with the Family Practice model.  And I am definitely more than the sum of my organs!

 

 I had a wonderful FP for four years until I moved a year ago.  He took care of my asthma, my allergies, my seborrheic dermatitis, my hypothyroidism, my tendonitis and my routine female exams.  He referred me out to rehab medicine to have my chronic pain syndrome diagnosed and treated, to neurology to have my cerebral palsy diagnosed, and then to endocrine when I developed Type 1 diabetes, as well as suggesting a consultation with rheumatology for my multiple autoimmune conditions.  I trusted his judgement what he could handle versus what needed specialty care. 

 

I moved a year ago and saw a FP resident (physician in training) who I liked but at the end of the year he graduated.  I saw another resident down in clinic last month I liked a lot.  I was there with bronchitis and he did an impressive job pulling together my complicated medical history without getting bogged down by the parts that were not relevant to my visit that day.  I plan to follow up with him for my routine care the next two years while he and I are both still here in training.  Then I will move again and have to break in a whole new set of doctors somewhere else. 

 

Bottom line is that you have to be comfortable with your primary care providor to get optimal care.  Someone can operate on you without ever paying attention to your as a person and you might well have a sucessful operation.  But for primary care, your physician needs to listen to you in order to know how best to diagnose and treat you.  If the doctor is taking better care of his computer than he is to you, it may be better to bring your lap-top in for him to treat and then find someone who wants to care for humans.  But this is not always possible, to just pick up and find a new doctor.  So sometimes you have to make the best of whoever you are able to see, and just advocate strongly for yourself whenever you are there.

 

I have a cariing doctor who spends time listening and sits with you not looking at charts or computers.  My problem is different he is frustrated as am I because we can't pin down relief for my sysmptoms.  He does refer me to specialist and he does write scripts when I need.  He just isn't sure where to go from here.  I have thought about changing to a more educated doctor but then I would loose that wonderful caring connection so for now I am my own best advocate and educate myself and then bring the information to him.  When he tells me I am grasping at straws or finding zebras where there should be horses I take it as a learning experience and he does the same when I point out it is my body and I live there 

Hey Chris......by your own admission........not wanting to travel further......you're stuck with this fellow........or could change to his partener........whom you've heard.......is no better...........right ?.........In that case...........it seems to me..........you'll rust have to bring up your complaint.......a very understandable complaint.............to him..........directly. Just TELL hin.........you find it very disconcerting for him to be looking at the computer , while you're talking to him. What do you think ?..............Peace and love.......Norma

Hi Chris,

 

My wife and I have been with our GP ever since we were married. That is almost 25 years. The good part of it all is that my medical records are in one place with a clear-cut view of my health over a 25 year span. Our GP has been fantastic and really takes care of us. He has even called us at home and stayed on the phone with my wife 30 minutes or more to see how I am doing and to answer my wife's questions about the progression of my MELAS disorder.

 

I can say similar things about my specialists. All of them have known me for at least the past 10 or 15 years as my MELAS symptoms started to emerge. For the longest of times we were all stumped as to why I was having strokes and other characteristic symptoms of MELAS. My hereditary disorder was finally diagnosed at a medical research hospital. In part, they were able to pinpoint my disorder because of the consistent trail of medical records within the necessary specialties.

 

We have been blessed to have a great medical team. I "feel" for the people that expend their energy in search of a good doctor. My best wishes are extended to you and your situation. Thanks for the great post with a very important question.

 

Dave

Ugh, that no eye contact thing doesn't fly with me. Some doctors think they are gods. Write your doctor a letter explaining this situation and your feelings. I think sometimes they need a wake up call to remember it's all about the patients!

 

I have a great relationship with our family doctor. He graduated with my husband and he has also been our son's baseball coach. My son is going to him tomorrow for his sports physical, as a matter of fact. He was a great sounding-board for my husband when I became ill and helped answer his many questions. I can call him at any time and get a prescription, if I need it. I see him once to twice a year for myself, and then when needed for my kids and my hubby. I'm just worried about what I'll do when he retires!

 

Becky

 

 

 

Hi Chris, Personally, I am very spoiled when it comes to doctors. I don't put up with  #%&$

If I don't like a doctor I find another, but in the USA we have that advantage. We pay for it too!

My current GP is wonderful. He actually comes to my house when I'm too messed up to go in to his office. My neurologist is another story...

In your situation it's not as if you can pick up and go to another GP.  I read a book written by a neurologist. He talked about how some doctors cannot bear to have personal interaction with their patients.They are even encouraged not to by peer pressure in the heirarchy of med school, internship and resedency. It's because they can't bear to get emotionally caught up a sick/suffering patients struggle. They see so much pain and death they become immune to

 it by staying emotionally remote. It becomes a survival mechenism to their psyche.

A fat lot of good that does you! Maybe you could talk to him about it. Ask him what you can do to improve the quality of your interactions. Saying it this way may help keep him from becoming defensive. I don't know...

I wish you well,

pambe