Re. General Practitioners: Medical
14 January 2008, 12:20 PM
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Re. General Practitioners: Medical
Online diagnosis prompts warning
Last Updated: Monday, 14 January 2008, 09:51 GMT
- Search: Online embarassing illnesses
Bashful Britons are turning to the internet and shunning their GPs when it comes to embarrassing medical ailments, a survey said.
The poll of more than 2,000 adults found embarrassing illnesses, lack of personal service, fear of physical examinations and the belief that pertinent information can be found on the web influenced people to stay away from doctors.
But a leading doctor strongly emphasised the dangers of seeking diagnosis and treatment over the internet and said that doctors were there to do their best for patients, not to make judgments about them.
The embarrassing nature of a specific illness was cited as the most significant factor causing sufferers to steer clear of surgeries. Research found 48% of respondents said that an embarrassing illness would make them think twice about visiting the doctor.
Medical problems which relate to sexually transmitted diseases are the most commonly evaded topics. Four in 10 of those surveyed (41%) would be reluctant to discuss such an ailment with their practitioner and a third (35%) would also be unwilling to discuss anything associated with their bowels.
The thought of a physical examination kept 44% of respondents away, according to the survey. In extreme cases, 6% of Britons sought treatment overseas.
A decline in personal service was also cited as a reason for a rise in self-medication.
Less than a third of those polled saw the same doctor at the clinic while the remainder experienced treatment from several doctors. And more than a quarter (26%) could not name their doctor.
The rise of the internet has had a profound effect on self-diagnosis, researchers claimed, with 38% of respondents saying they evaluate their self-diagnosed condition over the internet. More than one in 10 (12%) had bought medication over the internet and 13% have opted for diagnosis by a medical professional through the web without a physical examination.
Reacting to the findings, Dr Laurence Buckman, chair of the British Medical Association's GPs committee, gave a warning about people seeking treatment and diagnosis over the web. He said: "The person on one end may not be a patient and the person on the other end may not be a doctor. That's very dangerous."
Last Updated: Monday, 14 January 2008, 09:51 GMT
- Search: Online embarassing illnesses
Bashful Britons are turning to the internet and shunning their GPs when it comes to embarrassing medical ailments, a survey said.
The poll of more than 2,000 adults found embarrassing illnesses, lack of personal service, fear of physical examinations and the belief that pertinent information can be found on the web influenced people to stay away from doctors.
But a leading doctor strongly emphasised the dangers of seeking diagnosis and treatment over the internet and said that doctors were there to do their best for patients, not to make judgments about them.
The embarrassing nature of a specific illness was cited as the most significant factor causing sufferers to steer clear of surgeries. Research found 48% of respondents said that an embarrassing illness would make them think twice about visiting the doctor.
Medical problems which relate to sexually transmitted diseases are the most commonly evaded topics. Four in 10 of those surveyed (41%) would be reluctant to discuss such an ailment with their practitioner and a third (35%) would also be unwilling to discuss anything associated with their bowels.
The thought of a physical examination kept 44% of respondents away, according to the survey. In extreme cases, 6% of Britons sought treatment overseas.
A decline in personal service was also cited as a reason for a rise in self-medication.
Less than a third of those polled saw the same doctor at the clinic while the remainder experienced treatment from several doctors. And more than a quarter (26%) could not name their doctor.
The rise of the internet has had a profound effect on self-diagnosis, researchers claimed, with 38% of respondents saying they evaluate their self-diagnosed condition over the internet. More than one in 10 (12%) had bought medication over the internet and 13% have opted for diagnosis by a medical professional through the web without a physical examination.
Reacting to the findings, Dr Laurence Buckman, chair of the British Medical Association's GPs committee, gave a warning about people seeking treatment and diagnosis over the web. He said: "The person on one end may not be a patient and the person on the other end may not be a doctor. That's very dangerous."
You go with a problem (nothing sexual or embarrassing) for 3 times in four weeks to your GP, and he puts you off by saying " You worry too much about your health!" on the very first visit! Then even after 3 different treatments and different diagnosis each time, problem persists. Asking GP to be referred to the consultant(where you may actually get thorough examination) can be a crime of the century, as it bruises his ego! It leaves no other alternative but to go either private, or surf the net.
No attack on the GPs attending this forum at all, but IMO, GPs generally don't pay attention to detail, and their erroneous diagnosis has even cost people their lives sometimes! You decide to go to another GP, but people say they are all the same!
IMO NHS needs to provide more care and attention to detail in order to stop people receiving opinions outside the surgery.
What do you think?
14 January 2008, 12:22 PM
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I agree TH
I have found it incredibly difficult to even get to see the same GP, im lucky if I even get the bog standard Nurse these days
Even with Baby Christopher, one doctor says he needs this, another doc says he needs that etc etc
I have found it incredibly difficult to even get to see the same GP, im lucky if I even get the bog standard Nurse these days
Even with Baby Christopher, one doctor says he needs this, another doc says he needs that etc etc
14 January 2008, 12:39 PM
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Hope little Christopher is ok, Sonic!
I ended up going private to a physiotherapist lately with another problem. She did give diagnosis, but not on paper. Well, she was more helpful than the GP TBH! I was too afraid to go to the GP with two problems, one was enough for him to tell me that I was a worrier!
Last time he gave me treatment, he missed out writing prescription for the cure treatment, although he spoke clearly about it. When I checked the medication, it was just an application to relieve the discomfort, nothing else!Even the farmacist picked on it! I had to ring up and batter my head against the receptionist, telling her that the GP forgot to prescribe what he said. Eventually, they gave me something that still doesn't work.
I wonder if there is a limit where if the GP isn't successful in treating the prob, he should be referring you to the consultant?
I ended up going private to a physiotherapist lately with another problem. She did give diagnosis, but not on paper. Well, she was more helpful than the GP TBH! I was too afraid to go to the GP with two problems, one was enough for him to tell me that I was a worrier!
Last time he gave me treatment, he missed out writing prescription for the cure treatment, although he spoke clearly about it. When I checked the medication, it was just an application to relieve the discomfort, nothing else!Even the farmacist picked on it! I had to ring up and batter my head against the receptionist, telling her that the GP forgot to prescribe what he said. Eventually, they gave me something that still doesn't work.
I wonder if there is a limit where if the GP isn't successful in treating the prob, he should be referring you to the consultant?
14 January 2008, 12:52 PM
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I have been a recipient of the new proactive care that GPs are being encouraged to follow and I have to say I cannot fault my GP...
A fewyears ago, I thought I hadnt been to the docs for such a long time and I called them to ask for "an MOT" - just turned 30 and spent the previous 12 years smoking, drinking and living off donner meat
So they took 3 loads of blood to test for different things, took my BP, weighed me, measured my height, etc...
Bloods came back, cholesterol 6.7 (so higher than it should have been) and liver function was a bit low due to 40units a week consumption... BP was a bit high too...
Told to come back in 12 months for more bloods - did that and cholesterol has been falling since. BP regularly monitored and now under trial medication.
So now I am on the radar, getting older but yet healthier each year... None of my friends have taken advantage of this proactive care which I find bizaare.
So in my experience, my GP is splendiferous. I can get an appointment within 24 hours, am well looked after and there is a tele in the waiting room
A fewyears ago, I thought I hadnt been to the docs for such a long time and I called them to ask for "an MOT" - just turned 30 and spent the previous 12 years smoking, drinking and living off donner meat
So they took 3 loads of blood to test for different things, took my BP, weighed me, measured my height, etc...
Bloods came back, cholesterol 6.7 (so higher than it should have been) and liver function was a bit low due to 40units a week consumption... BP was a bit high too...
Told to come back in 12 months for more bloods - did that and cholesterol has been falling since. BP regularly monitored and now under trial medication.
So now I am on the radar, getting older but yet healthier each year... None of my friends have taken advantage of this proactive care which I find bizaare.
So in my experience, my GP is splendiferous. I can get an appointment within 24 hours, am well looked after and there is a tele in the waiting room
14 January 2008, 01:04 PM
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Christ! You are lucky! We have two major practitioners in town. The one I go to, gave my ex's mother double dose of hormone 
Farmacist pointed it out that she would grow beard and moustache if she took that dose! 
I only keep going to this one, because the other one carried on misdiagnosing my mate for general colic for years, she ended up going for emergency spleen removal last christmas! 
I will be out of my GPs clutches before I hit my HRT period!
Farmacist pointed it out that she would grow beard and moustache if she took that dose! I only keep going to this one, because the other one carried on misdiagnosing my mate for general colic for years, she ended up going for emergency spleen removal last christmas! I will be out of my GPs clutches before I hit my HRT period!
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16 January 2008, 12:15 AM
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We have 2 GP's. One of them is brilliant, the other is ..... actually there are no words. We call him Dr Death. There are at least 9 occasions where he has recommended either Asprin, Bisodol or a good sleep, which resulted in family members arriving in hospital for emergency surgery or drastic intervention within 24 hours.
So far he has missed
Aortic Aenurism (sp)
Apendicitis (sp again)
Two broken hands
Pre-eclampsia
Heart attack
Perforated ulcer
displaced broken femur (this takes a special effort)
and something ending in purpura which resulted in one of my kids being on IV antibiotics for three days - he reckoned it was teething.
On the flip side - the other GP never misses anything. The guy is amazing. The kids love to go and see him. You never get fobbed off. He can answer all your questions and makes Google sound like a hairdresser or a taxi driver. We used to go to a pub quiz where he was a regular atendee. After endless slagging, he played 20 questions with us during the break for the best part of two years. We spent a week researching the symptoms of an obscure illness and he got 20 questions to 'diagnose' it. I don't honestly think we ever got past 9 or 10 questions before he worked it out
You can't say all GP's are crap. Certainly many of them are, but there is so much stuff to know, you could nearly forgive them for not knowing it if they didn't get paid 100k+ a year for not knowing it. Occasionally you will get what I can only describe as a genius. A £100 million computer system wouldn't replace these guys (and gals) so you can only estimate their worth at being >£100 million.
p.s. - Dr Death should get a McJob.
16 January 2008, 12:39 AM
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I think alot of GPs suffer from an overwhelming level of apathy. (knowingly or unknowingly).
Brought on by many factors: NHS and the patients; you know the ones who turn up for every silly thing, whine, then come back every week non-stop. Or the ones who complain, then say they don't like the medication or don't want to pay the prescription charges...but STILL come back to have a moan. It's got to grind anyone in that role down. And the people that suffer most are the ones with more critical ailments.
One of our GPs did cost my Grandad his life: repeated failure to diagnose a kidney condition, which led to kidney failure, which still remained undiagnosed until he was basically comotosed as the blood was poisoning all of his organs. Thus was hospitalised; From that point it was too late, and multiple organ failure was the result of what was initially a treatable condition.
This was a bloke who never went to the doctors unless he really "needed" to. And I do wonder if the people who did go who didn't (especially of similar elderly age) really need to go (except maybe pass the time, and hog the surgery at the most awkward times for working folk...nothing against old folk, but that's what some do, like its programmed into their instincts), and that may have been a factor in this doctor gaining such an attitude
If that doctor hadn't gained such a level of apathy, maybe things would have been different.
Not to mention reviewing people's past medication and health history:
Like I'm sure I grew out of my "childhood" asthma 20 years ago, but contuined needless medication for what may have been a minor allergies to egg related products, dust mite feaces and dog sweat. All of which can be avoided without taking steriods (which never really relieved the problem anyway...resulting in being prescribed stronger ones, and doubling, even trippling doseage).
Brought on by many factors: NHS and the patients; you know the ones who turn up for every silly thing, whine, then come back every week non-stop. Or the ones who complain, then say they don't like the medication or don't want to pay the prescription charges...but STILL come back to have a moan. It's got to grind anyone in that role down. And the people that suffer most are the ones with more critical ailments.
One of our GPs did cost my Grandad his life: repeated failure to diagnose a kidney condition, which led to kidney failure, which still remained undiagnosed until he was basically comotosed as the blood was poisoning all of his organs. Thus was hospitalised; From that point it was too late, and multiple organ failure was the result of what was initially a treatable condition.
This was a bloke who never went to the doctors unless he really "needed" to. And I do wonder if the people who did go who didn't (especially of similar elderly age) really need to go (except maybe pass the time, and hog the surgery at the most awkward times for working folk...nothing against old folk, but that's what some do, like its programmed into their instincts), and that may have been a factor in this doctor gaining such an attitude
If that doctor hadn't gained such a level of apathy, maybe things would have been different.
Not to mention reviewing people's past medication and health history:
Like I'm sure I grew out of my "childhood" asthma 20 years ago, but contuined needless medication for what may have been a minor allergies to egg related products, dust mite feaces and dog sweat. All of which can be avoided without taking steriods (which never really relieved the problem anyway...resulting in being prescribed stronger ones, and doubling, even trippling doseage).
Last edited by Shark Man; 16 January 2008 at 12:43 AM.
16 January 2008, 08:52 AM
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I think part of the problem is people who go the their GP when they have no need to, taking up their time which means they only get a few minutes to see each patient. FFS, why do people with a bad cold go to their GP ? what do they think they are going to say that the local chemist won't ?
16 January 2008, 09:00 AM
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I think part of the problem is people who go the their GP when they have no need to, taking up their time which means they only get a few minutes to see each patient. FFS, why do people with a bad cold go to their GP ? what do they think they are going to say that the local chemist won't ?
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