Comments on: What Do You Look For In A Rheumatologist?

By: Megan

Megan — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:49:26 +0000

What you describe in the second half of your post—a doctor who listens to you and takes your opinion, decisions, and experience seriously—is what I think many of us mean when we say we want a compassionate or empathetic rheumatologist. Because unless a doctor is willing to listen to our “testimony” (for a lack of a better word) regarding pain levels, fatigue, etc, particularly if we are seronegative, he/she is frequently going to send us out the door, insisting that our symptoms are under control and/or we are making a big deal out of nothing. Simply agreeing with a diagnosis doesn’t necessarily lead to an open dialog between doctor and patient, where the doctor takes the patient’s self-report seriously. Perhaps “holistic approach” is a better description for this kind of doctor, who interprets lab results and examinations alongside the patient’s observations and opinions.

I feel the same way about the dentist– if a dentist is going to discount my self-report about pain levels and, say, refuse to wait until a lidocaine injection has fully numbed my mouth before beginning a procedure, I have no interest in continuing that professional relationship. I see that as analogous to a rheumatologist who insists I cannot be fatigued or in pain because my ESR or RF is “too low.”

By: Candee

Candee — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:20:32 +0000

p.s. your post is an important reminder to us all that to have any shred of inner peace with treatment, we have to honestly examine our expectations.

By: Candee

Candee — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:14:22 +0000

I see an interesting parallel RA Guy. Corporate vs Medical, professional vs. personal. I think back to my years in corporate and this is what I come up with: I was on a team of “professionals” who trained branch banking staff how to “interact” with customers. Not “empathize” but “interact”. My supervisors had my career in his/her hands and did not empathize with my pain/distress of RA which I didn’t know I had at the time. Every Rheumy who has treated me thus far had my pain/condition in his/her hands and has yet to show true empathy. The customer service trainer in me screams “I can teach you how to do this!!!!” do what? interact WITH empathy. It’s really not that difficult. Your fellow professional/personal suffers are right here to do just that right beside you…sending gentle hugs your way. Candee

By: Shan

Shan — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:03:03 +0000

RA Guy – perhaps you read my entry on ‘The Meaning of Pain’?! You know we disagree on this point. Psychological well-being is part and parcel of any chronic condition, and they as professionals in this area should recognise this and manage it accordingly – whether or not that be a referral to a psychologist. Not only when the doctor medicates the pain I think they should also be take the time, and be realistic, about the other aspects of managing RA. As Carla mentioned above, we are people too and we needed to be treated as ‘whole patients’. Sometimes we just want to be heard and you’d think they would be the best people to listen. What do we pay all the money to them for after all?

By: Carla

Carla — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:39:33 +0000

RA Guy: I agree with your post and I, too, am lucky to have found a great doctor that I both enjoy and respect. The only other criteria I might add, is that I want my doctors to treat me as a whole patient — they have to understand that I have other medical needs other than what I’m seeing them for.