"But he doesn't want to eat anything....."
Parent : So doctor, can my son take the medicine on an empty stomach?
Doctor : It shouldn't be a problem but it is better if he could have some food before taking it
Parent : But my son doesn't want to eat any food.
Doctor : Well that's because he is having a fever and is feeling unwell. If you let him take his medicine, and his fever comes down, his appetite will return.
Parent : But my son doesn't want to eat any food.
Doctor : Then give him the medicine and sponge him.
Parent : But my son doesn't want to eat any food.
Doctor : ............
posted by Dr Oz bloke @ 9:59 PM
12 Comments:
Headbutt the parent's chest....
Sometimes, what you can only do is giving them the best advice. The choice is theirs. And if they can't listen, then that's too bad. It is not as if you are speaking 'cheem' English.
I think what the parent is trying to say is that she would prefer that her son can eat something before medication and she's at her wits' end to get him to eat.
She is hoping that you could offer her some advice to get a sick and maybe very fussy child who has not eaten for days to eat something. I guess she is one tired parent and had not stated her intention correctly. Such things do happen I am sure.
I have always hope that medical professionals would not be so quick to judge and try to put themselves in the patient's shoe. Remember that patients are not medically trained and they are always more worried and sometimes clueless because their expertise is something else.
Besides, it's their health you are talking about, that's why they are more worried but on the other hand if they have good doctors, do they have to worry so much especially nowadays?
Hi anon,
Actually, I do realise that point.
And I did try to reassure the parent that the child will not die if he does not eat for a couple of days.
It's natural to have a reduced appetite when you are sick and have got a fever etc.
As it is, there is NO easy way to get the child to eat while they are feeling really sick and unwell and have a loss of appetite.
Continually asking the doctor the same question also means I can only give the same answer. Unless you prefer that I give them some Vitamin B supplement eg Appelin and say that that would boost the child's appeitite even though he is still sick?
I dunno. It's not that we want to judge anyone. But patients also have to realise the limits of what we can do too.
Dr Oz
I have no doubt that you are a good doctor and did your best in reassuring the parent - just sharing her anxiety.
Honestly, when a patient see a good doctor who bothers to explain further, they tend to ask more to understand better. If I see a bochup doctor who don't bother to explain anything and only writes prescription, then it would be my lst and last consultation.
Hope you're not offended by my comments abt medical professionals, it's not meant for you, they are based on what I have heard and seen.
"But patients also have to realise the limits of what we can do"
I'm sure they do, just that sometimes their anxieties got the better of them.
Hi anon,
I guess communication is 2 way.
I much prefer patients who engage in a conversation with me rather than just asking the same question over and over again until they hear what they want to hear. Sometimes in those cases, I must admit that I am guilty of just saying what they want to hear so that they can go out the room earlier.
There are good doctors and bad doctors. There are also doctors who try to communicate and those who don't.
Similarly there are patients who simply just aren't in the mood to listen and hear explanations. They just want what they want.
Dr Oz
True, communication is always a 2-way traffic and one would be lucky to have a doctor who takes the trouble to communicate with his patients, which is almost unheard of in the public clinics and some pte ones too.
And there are some patients who just want their medicine and couldn't be bothered with anything else.
Hope you don't mind me asking you this. What's your opinion on doctors who consult their regular patients over the phone or online, instead of seeing them in person for minor cases, such as flu, etc.
Read in the papers few weeks ago, written by a doctor complaining that patients always waste doc's time over minor illness instead of self-medication and buying medicine OTC.
I am really confused.
Oh, by the way, hope things are getting better.
I must say I am just as confused too! Haha!
Regarding doctors consulting patients over the phone. Well I doubt this is the IDEAL CHOICE from the doctor's point of view. Medico-legally it is not right to consult a patient that way.
From my experience in most cases the patients are trying to get a free consult from the doctor. I've had qutie a few cases where the patients call me, ask me a whole list of questions talk to me for about 30 minutes and then never come in to see me. Makes me wonder whether I did the right thing or not trying to be helpful. All the while the clinic is empty and there's no business. Hmmm.
If the doctor actually charges for it, then I am very surprised because I wonder how that's done (who collects the money and how?) and also whether that is allowed by MOH and SMC.
These days doctors are hard pressed for business. Any kind of business. Don't waste the doctor's time with minor illnesses? You gotta be kidding! Maybe you read it wrongly.
I understand your views from a pte GP but what if it's a public clinic doctor.
Am quite sure I didn't read it wrongly - he even ended his letter with "so much for public education".
Maybe, he is a public clinic doctor
trying very hard to cut down his patient's queue or appointment lists, so that he has more time for himself or to slack or thinking that he's saving taxpayer's money.
Well, what your views then, if it's a public clinic doctor?
Will try to dig back the old papers for the forum page.
and after talking to your patient on the phone, you mean they didn't ask you whether they need go to the clinic to see you.
I always asks my doctor that after talking to him.
Well if they ask then I would always say it is best that you come in and let me take a look at your of course.
Usually at the start or early part of the conversation I would say it is ideal for me to see you rather than talk over the phone.
But maybe this is a culture that my current boss (I am leaving this clinic in 2 weeks time) has perpetuated.
For the record he even does housecalls for free which makes him a very busy man but also puts his clinic in financial difficulties.
As for the public clinic doctor....
well then that explains it. Sorry I guess I wasn't as sharp about it.
Of course for public service doctors the less work the better cos the pay stays the same right?
I would say to the doctor "Then please teach all the patients that see you what they should do the next time they get minor ailments. Teach them preventive medicine."
And I am sure his response would be "NO TIME LAH!"
There are problems everywhere.
Nice to know that you leaving, wishing you all the best in your future endeavour.
Just curious, who actually checks on the work performed by the doctors in the polyclinic.
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