Doctor sharing imformation
Why is it most doctors won't share imformation and documents with other doctors?
Hi Sidewinder, and thanks for your post - you have posed an excellent question! This is just the right question to be asking, too! Practically speaking, doctors are supposed to collaborate with one another when two or more physicians (with different specialties), are treating the same patient. Sadly, this does not occur (as in sadly, this does not occur!!!). Generally speaking, each doctor expects the patient to share the information with their other doctors.
What I usually do is ask one doctor to PLEASE, reach out to the other doctor, on my behalf and, in my best interest.
Too often I have found myself in the middle of various opinions from the different physicians providing my care. This is extremely challenging to deal with - I understand that clearly!
The way I actually work this out for myself is I get extremely direct with each doctor when there is a discrepancy (which really doesn't happen that often in my case). If I cannot get them to communicate (and often times, I can), I take the advice from the doctor who is most specialized in the particular level of care in question. However, I only follow the advice after I've analyzed it, at length, with the doctor, myself, and my wife.
So far, this has worked out well for my health.
Do you think this might work for you?
Leon (site moderator COPD.net)Leon, what I was actually trying to get away is from my 3 lung Drs that I've been to none of them are communicating documents , x- rays, mri's, CT scans nothing so every Dr has to run new ones and Bill me whatever insurance doesn't pay on top of my co pays. If the Drs would share with each other it would save patients money that could be used toward meds and procedures that would help the patiences live a little better. Drs send us patience to hospitals they are affiliated with instead of one that's closest causing us to drive 100's of miles for a visit, test or consult. It's not fair or right and we shouldn't have to pay for another test over and over again because they would do their jobs to get the documents on us. I've got so I don't go to Drs now cause of the way they treat me. Wanting me to go to a consult 140 miles away before having a procedure that could show I have cancer. I won't go and try to find another Dr closer to do it is like they are all booked up for months in advance and you can't get in to see them no time soon. Drs are only in it for the money.
worried about what Dr will find. Dad had prostate cancer and mom had pancreatic cancer. Both were cancer survivors. Me, with the way Biden has everyone going into a recession it's financially hard for me to even afford my meds now. Cancer or not government has the US so messed up that by the time he's out of office nobody would want to live here. When my wife passes on if I'm still here I'm going to the mountains in solitude to finish my journey alone. Anywayright now I'm reading all I can about my COPD and learning as much as possible of it. My Drs don't want to tell me alot about my problems so I have to learn bits and pieces here and there as I can. Think I'm in stage 2 right now best I can tell.
Hi again, Sidewinder - I hear you! You have certainly come to the right place. Here in our online community (COPD.net), we are all about all things COPD and COPD related. If we can assist you with anything, please let me or any other moderator / team member know. We can guide you on your journey to learn all you can about this disease, COPD.
I understand how financially challenging all this is - it is difficult for many in this economic climate.
If I can suggest anything, it would be to do what you're doing (for COPD), and try to do what's necessary to find out more about the potential cancer diagnosis. That can be intimidating but, once you know, you will have a better understanding and idea how to proceed next.
Life is good - let's live it as long as we can!
Leon (site moderator COPD.net)
My experience is that Pulmonologists are very busy. My appointments would be cancelled at the last minute if the doctor was called to work in the emergency room. I switched to a doctor that is connected with a large teaching hospital. There are two teaching hospitals in my state. I don't know if you've had 6-mile walk tests done, and Pulmonary Function tests done on a regular basis. I sign into MyChart, and can pull up "test results" that I can print out. My Chart also allows me to contact the doctor, and ask questions. I could also use My Chart to request that my records be made available to other doctors. I think it's called Epic. It's easier for me to ask more direct questions via my MyChart. It's not for medical emergencies, that would require calling your doctor, or going to a hospital. Good luck sorting it out. It's nice to be able to go back, and look at test results.
I believe that it's because of liability if they get something wrong. Years ago I read about this case of a teenage girl in Canada who died of botulism poisoning as a consequence of her condition being dismissed by the physician, a former president of the Canadian medical association, as being psychosomatic/faked. https://medicalcorruption.blogspot.com/2009/04/only-in-canada.html While he was initially found guilty of medical negligence, losing his licence and forced to pay compensation, he quickly appealed the court finding. Just before the appeal got into the courts the hospitals administrator had someone break into the boot of her car at night, which just happened to contain all of the medical records applying to the case. Surprisingly they didn't have copies of anything. His appeal was successful because there was absolutely no evidence against him. Get rid of the documents and there's no proof. Only hard copies of medical records count and it's not in the best interest of a physician to share those.
