Why don't you ask your Doctor ?

I enjoy providing a free second opinion as an IVF expert . I find patients are often confused and need an expert to provide them with an unbiased, objective second opinion, so they know they are on the right track. However, I sometimes get frustrated when patients ask me questions which they should be asking the IVF doctor who is treating them ! After all, it is their doctor’s job to provide answers – and often I do not have enough specific medical details to be able to provide intelligent answers. So why do patients turn to me for a second opinion ? Why do they find it hard to ask their own IVF doctor these basic questions ? One of the reasons is that patients feel intimidated. They are reluctant to “waste the doctor’s time” because they know that their doctor is a very busy person and has lots of other patients to see . They also don't want to appear to be foolish or ignorant , which is why they continue nodding their head , even though everything is going about the head , and they are  completely clueless as to what the doctor is talking about.Few patients have the courage to be honest and upfront with the doctor and say – I don't understand ! Part of the problem is cultural. Patients are used to asking questions – and doctors aren’t used to answering them ! This is particularly true in India , where the schooling system encourages rote learning, and the teacher is treated as the expert who is the fount of wisdom and has all the answers . When these...
Source: The Patient's Doctor - Category: Obstetricians and Gynecologists Tags: doctor patient communication malpani complaints dr malpani complaint Source Type: blogs