[ SECRET POST #6998 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #6998 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 15 secrets from Secret Submission Post #999.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

What is the proper role of healthcare workers?

[(Anonymous)]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately.

One school of thought holds that the patient knows themselves, and as a result, the role of the healthcare worker is to listen to them and to diagnose and prescribe accordingly. It's gatekeeping or paternalism for a doctor to say "no" to a patient, or to suggest that alternative explanations be explored.

Another school of thought holds that the patient does not know themselves, at least in this domain. The role of the healthcare worker is to diagnose and prescribe based on evidence, and not necessarily on what the patient says. A patient who suggests that they be given a particular diagnosis or treatment should be rebuffed.

I'm torn about this. Patients should be listened to; their complaints, and their experience with particular symptoms, should not be dismissed, but it's really common for them to be dismissed. There are plenty of doctors (particularly neurologists, it seems?) who don't seem to give a shit about what their patients are actually experiencing, or what their life experience might actually be like. At the same time, regular lay people don't necessarily know enough to be able to diagnose themselves, and probably should be gatekept. It's also the case that some people want certain drugs and treatments for personal, non-medical satisfaction or self-harm, and I'm not sure medical professionals should be obligated to participate in that. How do you adhere to "do no harm" if you must acquiesce to any request, even if it seems to do harm? What does "harm" even mean? Is it okay for me to hurt myself physically if it makes me happy? What if it only makes me happy in the here and now, and I'm upset about it later, and wish someone would have stopped me? Is the physician's obligation only to the "in the moment" me, or is it also to the future me?

Interestingly, I think a lot of the tension between the two positions has to do with...capitalism! We've been taught to think of everything in terms of market logic and "customer service," so despite lots of hemming and hawing about capital and about the transactional nature of so many aspects of our culture, we don't know what to do with things that perhaps should operate outside of that framework.

Anyway, it's late, and there's probably no one here, but what are your thoughts, if you are here? What's the best way to thread this needle?

Re: What is the proper role of healthcare workers?

[(Anonymous)]

I think it's a bit of a double edged sword and depending on the situation, or the profession of the diagnosing specialist.

My GP listens to me and sends me off for any tests I think I might need re bloodwork (ie hyperthyroidism a few years back that turned out to be nothing), but my gyno denied me a hysterectomy and instead prescribed me hormone treatments to treat my fibroids (such as implants). I still think the latter should have listened to me when I had the time off able to deal with the recovery from the surgery, but he likely thinks he's acting in my best interests.

idk it's certainly interesting to think about

Re: What is the proper role of healthcare workers?

[(Anonymous)]

I think it's becoming more common for doctors to try to avoid major surgeries when other, less invasive options are available.

Re: What is the proper role of healthcare workers?

[(Anonymous)]

I think you've chosen two extreme positions there and neither is completely correct. Plus, "healthcare worker" is a huge range of jobs, most of which don't diagnose or prescribe anything, but gather information and assist in solutions.