Once or twice a year, you get a cold or flu that you can usually shake off on your own. However, there have been occasions where this hasn’t been the case. You’ve felt so poorly that you needed to go and see the doctor.
After visiting the doctor’s office, you expect to leave with the medicine that you needed to get better. You shouldn’t feel like you were rushed out of there or that your doctor was not interested in anything you had to say. Why is it so important that your doctor listens to you?
Making the right diagnosis
Doctors have years of experience, as well as scientific tests, that help them to reach a diagnosis. It is vital that any diagnosis is accurate, otherwise you will not get the treatment you need or you will be subjected to treatment that you don’t need. Part of diagnosing a condition involves listening to a patient describe how they feel. This step cannot be skipped. Nobody knows your body better than you, and every piece of the puzzle is needed to come up with an accurate diagnosis.
Decreasing risks
Treating your condition involves effective communication between you and your doctor, nurses, receptionists, pharmacists and other medical staff. If this chain of communication breaks down, then it’s almost inevitable that an error will occur further down the line. For example, if you inform your doctor that you are allergic to certain substances, they need to listen. If they don’t, then a pharmacist could end up writing you a script for a product that will harm you rather than help.
Doctors owe you a legal duty of care, and this includes listening to you properly. If you have been let down and suffered harm as a result, then you may be entitled to financial compensation. Seek legal guidance to find out whether or not you have grounds upon which to file a valid medical malpractice case.
