When patients are concerned that their doctor isn’t listening to them, they have every right to be worried about their health. A doctor has to have the proper information to make an accurate diagnosis and give them the right treatment plan. A doctor that refuses to listen to a patient could miss key information and make errors that would never have happened otherwise.
Unfortunately, this scenario is very common. Studies have determined that doctors tend to interrupt their patients and there have even been claims that this happens in just 11 seconds, on average. That is certainly not long enough to describe a complex set of medical symptoms, nor is it long enough for the doctor to carefully consider those symptoms and come up with an accurate diagnosis. Why does this happen?
Scheduling chaos
One reason is that a doctor’s office can be a bit chaotic, and the ins and outs of the scheduling process may mean that the doctor is always in a rush. They may always be thinking about getting on to the next appointment because the entire day is booked solid. This means that the doctor may be tempted to simply make an easy diagnosis without giving it much thought so that they can move on.
Assumptions about patients
Doctors may also make assumptions about the patient that they are dealing with, such as believing that the patient isn’t accurately articulating their own symptoms. The doctor may think that their own medical experience means that they know better. And while they may be correct in a technical sense, in that they likely do know more about diagnostic science, medical treatment options, etc. it’s dangerous to overlook a patient’s input because they know their body better than anyone else.
What are your options?
If you believe that a doctor has made a mistake or has been negligent in the care that you have received, you may be entitled to significant compensation. Make sure that you know exactly what legal steps to take if you have suffered genuine physical harm as a result of a misdiagnosis, inadequate care or any other challenge as a result of your physician’s approach.