Here are some of the things patients hate about doctors, and with good reason. If you encounter these repeatedly, maybe it’s time for you to look for another (better!) doctor.

Signs of an unprofessional doctor

1. Makes you wait endlessly: If your doctor routinely makes you wait and that too, for no rhyme or reason, this reflects either poor time management on the part of the doctor or a disregard for the patient’s time. Unfortunately, many doctors seem to take a kind of perverse pride in making their patients wait. It’s true that patients need to be patient, but not in a doctor’s “waiting” room.
2. Does not give sufficient explanations: Doctors are used to having their orders being followed, so they just tell their patients what to do, without explaining what or why.
3. Doesn’t discuss options: Many doctors are authoritarian, and expect blind obedience from their patients. They refuse to consider alternatives, let alone discuss them.
4. Behaves rudely: Doctors like to project how busy they are and how valuable their time is, so they are often rude and inconsiderate. Their ability to keep patients “in their place” lends them a false sense of importance.
5. Does not reveal or explain consulting/treatment costs: Most patients are reasonable and expect to pay for medical services—they just need to know how much the cost is, so they can budget for it. But there are doctors who think it is below their dignity to talk about crass matters such as money; others use this as an excuse to extract every last penny they can from their patients.
6. Does not respect the privacy of the patient: It is the right of every patient to expect undivided attention from their doctor, at least for a few minutes. But they often fail to get even this because there are doctors who talk to two or three patients at once. Such doctors believe in multitasking in order to improve their efficiency and their “patient through-put”.
7. Never listens to the patient: Many doctors feel they “know-it-all” and do not even bother to listen to the patient’s perspective or feelings. They may dismiss what the patient says or cut short the patient when they are speaking. Patients feel cheated when they cannot unburden themselves.
8. When the chemistry is not right: I received an email from a patient, who said, “I drive my current doctor crazy. I question everything and I just can’t follow orders until I actually agree to follow them.” That’s a good idea! Many doctors prefer passive patients who agree to do what they are told to. Unfortunately, what they don’t realise is that these silent passive patients are often the ones who don’t “follow orders”. Indeed, they are the ones who are non-compliant. While it is true that it does take longer to talk to active, questioning patients, they are the ones who are much more co-operative and compliant, once they agree with the treatment plan, because they have played an active part in its formulation.

Many senior doctors continue with these bad habits, partly because they can get away with this behaviour, and partly because they don’t know any better. Unless patients learn to speak up for their rights, the doctor-patient relationship will always be lopsided against the patient.

Get off your knees

I can understand why poor,  patients put up with such behaviour. Beggars can’t be choosers, and they are so grateful for any care they receive at government hospitals, that they don’t expect any better. But why do affording patients, who pay large fees to their doctors in posh hospitals, tolerate such rudeness? Unless patients learn to get off their knees, doctors will remain comfortably ensconced on their pedestals.

Patients are unnecessarily scared of changing doctors. They feel that their doctor will be “hurt”; or that “he knows my case” and therefore they should stick to him. Sometimes, a fresh re-assessment makes a world of a difference. I often see patients who have received poor quality medical care. When I ask them why their doctor did a particular procedure (which was unnecessary), they look nonplussed, and the standard answer is: ”Because the doctor told me to.” When I enquire why they didn’t check to see if the doctor’s advise was correct, their stock reply is: “But I had faith in my doctor .”

Don’t trust blindly

Yes, it is important to have faith in your doctor, and to trust him. But you need to be careful in whom you repose your faith. If you find a good doctor, your faith will be amply rewarded. Unfortunately, patients are often not always good at discerning good doctors from and bad ones, and their blind faith can prove to be expensive. This is why it’s a good idea to do your homework before going to your doctor and also to verify everything he tells you independently. Doing your “due diligence” will pay off handsomely.

You have a lot more at stake than just money or time when you go through any medical treatment. It’s important for you to choose a doctor you feel comfortable with, so you have peace of mind that you did your best, no matter what the final outcome. If you aren’t happy with your present doctor, it’s time to look for alternatives. Everyone is allowed to make a mistake once, and you may have been unlucky with your initial selection. However, there’s no excuse for making the same mistake repeatedly. Learn from your mistakes and act now, rather than suffering in silence, and regretting later.

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Medicine isn’t an exact science. Doctors can have different opinions. Some symptoms may be difficult to diagnose, and some diseases may not be easily treatable. And here we come to the crux of the problem. ‘Buyers beware’ means you start from a position of distrust. In an opinion-driven industry, this is the dichotomy we need to overcome every time we interact with the medical establishment. So let’s look at some ways of meeting this challenge.

Build trust through checking credentials

If you go into a consultation without being prepared to trust your physician, it will be a frustrating and fruitless meeting. One way to counter this is to look for trustworthy references for information on your doctor. So you could go for an annual check-up with an internationally or nationally certified hospital, where you are reasonably assured of the quality of medical care. You can check the educational qualifications of your doctors. Most hospitals have this information on their websites, while clinics will display medical certificates. Similarly, you can also check the certification status of diagnostic centres and hospitals. Health insurance providers may display a set of recommended institutions. These are all verifiable sources, which can assure a standard quality of care.

Trust in your doctor, or the lack of it, can have a profound impact on your wellbeing

Then there are informal sources. Word-of-mouth is a very powerful trust reference. The recommendations of people suffering similar problems, people who’ve had good experiences with certain doctors and hospitals, or simply other people that we trust, are a gold mine of information. Sharing of experiences in an intimate gathering or on social media websites helps us make an informed choice. Of course it is important to take any informal recommendation with a pinch of salt. A close friend’s experience is high on the trust scale but it offers a sample size of one. What if that experience was a one-off situation? On the other hand, an Internet forum is lower on the trust scale but offers a higher sample size. What if the responses in the discussion were not genuine? The trick is to gather your information from multiple sources, balance your trust equation and meet your qualified physician halfway.

Understand patient rights and responsibilities

As a patient, you have certain rights and responsibilities. While these may differ from place to place, some rights are universal. You have rights of access to care, respect, privacy, security and all information regarding your treatment and treating staff. You can ask for the credentials of all your doctors. You can ask for multiple opinions or change of doctors. Any treatment plan needs your consent or that of your chosen nominee. You can refuse treatment. You can and should ask for details for every drug that is given to you, including side effects and expiry dates. If admitted in a hospital, you or your attendant should check every medicine given to you against your doctor’s recommended plan. You can request for an alternative if a medicine does not suit you. The financial estimate of your treatment should be communicated to you before your treatment commences, except of course in emergency situations.

You can and should ask for details for every drug that is given to you, including side effects and expiry dates

Against these rights, you have the responsibility of providing correct information about yourself for accurate diagnosis, and following the consented treatment plan. This important information usually gets lost in a plethora of medical paperwork. Make it a point to read it on any visit to a medical establishment. It will bolster your confidence to demand the care you deserve.

Make an informed decision

A detailed patient history is the starting point. The details of your symptoms come in at this stage. An easily identifiable characteristic of a good doctor is if he/she spends adequate time understanding your problem. The next stage is diagnostic testing—lab and radiology. Remember, diagnostics do have a degree of error. They should always be corroborated by the treating physician and repeated if needed. Different labs may have different techniques and reading ranges. Keep this in mind before you panic on seeing an out-of-range result.

With the identification of the disease, [or possible concern areas], the doctor will recommend a treatment plan. Simply scribbling a set of drugs is not enough. You must know all details pertaining to the plan, including when to take the medicine [e.g. before or after meals], how to take it and for how long, what are the possible side effects, what are the contraindications [i.e. under what conditions should you not take the medicine], is it safe to take with other regular medicines, what reactions would be an emergency and what to do in case that happened. In case of multiple opinions, weigh the information carefully. How qualified is your source? Do you doubt your doctor based on an informal source?

While it is tempting to self-diagnose based on informal sources, it is critical to validate data with a qualified practitioner. Instead, use your research to formulate questions to ask your doctor. Go with an open mind that the doctor could have a different opinion on the information you have gathered. Don’t attack them with your knowledge; instead look for convincing arguments, or take a second opinion from another doctor. In the end, it is always advisable to base your decision on a qualified practitioner’s recommendation, whether it is your first or fifth doctor. Some of this may sound like common sense, but it is not always easy to keep perspective when the doctor is saying things you don’t want to hear.

Remember what is important

Trust in your doctor, or the lack of it, can have a profound impact on your wellbeing. The mind is the most neglected component in standard medical care. Yet, text after ancient text and story after story tell us about the miracles the mind can achieve, even in very difficult medical cases. While there may not be consensus on whether and how the mind heals, a negative mindset can definitely hamper recovery. Stress, anxiety, depression can hinder the best of treatments. If you do not feel comfortable with your doctor, the mind will stress out on each and every little thing. Due diligence and awareness can help you meet your doctor on a strong footing. This will build your confidence that you can trust your doctor and lead a healthier life.

A version of this article was first published in the August 2015 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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