Nowadays, it is difficult to place trust in others with delicate matters - including doctors. So it begs the question…
We often see a variation of “consult your doctor” or “talk to a professional” attached to pieces of advice or information. And for good reason. Regardless of how well-researched and communicated something is, when it comes to health, you must make sure that you’re making the right decisions for yourself. And doctors and professionals are trained and committed to helping you with that responsibility.
Does this mean that they all know best? Not necessarily. Humans are complex, both in biology and psychology. And as "modern" as we believe ourselves to be, there’s still much that we don’t fully know and understand. Besides, not everyone with a license to practice is as competent or capable as they could be. Some may even be quite lousy and/or indifferent about your recovery. You may have even heard horror stories of devastating and lethal malpractices.
However, when it comes to treating your health, it is about increasing your chances and taking those chances. It’s on you to look for what seems best for you. And a complete stranger with no credentials and nothing to lose may not be the best bet.
With that in mind, checking for a few traits when selecting who will take care of you can increase your chances of finding a suitable fit:
• They take their job seriously and are invested in helping, not just making money.
• They specialize in or are at least closely familiar with your condition.
• They keep up with the latest discoveries and advances instead of being set and closed in their ways.
• They are attentive, and kindly listen and respond to your concerns.
• They will try to minimize harm, avoiding suggesting anything with damaging secondary effects that cannot be easily and effectively countered and changing the approach if something is proving to be unjustifiably hurtful to you.
You can also look for their past successes dealing with the same or similar issues as well as whether they are recommended by reliable sources (e.g. a trustworthy patient and/or doctor that has worked with them).
A doctor or another type of professional may not check all the boxes, and you may not have better options available, in which case, it’d take a greater leap of faith. But still do what you can to make it as likely as possible to receive proper care.
What do you most require from a doctor?