Have you ever questioned your doctor’s candor or suspected that anything could be withheld? There may be information that you are not being told. Eat This, Not That Health met with Dr. Tomi Mitchell, a Board-Certified Family Physician with Holistic Wellness Strategies, who explains six things physicians won’t tell you and why. While your doctor will always be honest about your health, there are certain things they won’t tell you.
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Doctors Hold Back Certain Information
According to Dr. Mitchell, there is a proverb that goes, “First, do no damage.” This implies that doctors should put their patients’ welfare above anything else. Sometimes, a patient’s information is withheld in order to do this.
A doctor may decide that it is appropriate to wait to inform a patient with a severe diagnosis if they are not yet prepared to deal with it. To safeguard a patient’s emotional health, a doctor might withhold information in other situations. Hearing terrible news can be just as unpleasant as seeing it, as anybody who has ever received it knows.
The majority of patients were appreciative that I didn’t sugarcoat the unpleasant truths and tried to communicate them with as much empathy as I could. On the other hand, I recall a situation where a patient became irate with me because they could have had cancer based on imaging reports and physical findings, but they didn’t want to know.
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There is Often More Than One Way to Treat a Condition
It’s no secret that the medical industry is experiencing an ethical crisis, according to Dr. Mitchell. Patients are asking for and expecting more open communication from their doctors in an era of growing expenses and easy access to information.
The way doctors communicate treatment choices with their patients is one area where this lack of openness is particularly obvious. When there are frequently a variety of alternatives available, patients are all too frequently given the notion that there is only one approach to treat their ailment.
Sometimes, it may be because they are worried about overwhelming themselves with too much information. In other cases, it may be because they prefer one particular course of treatment and don’t want to give their patients the impression that there are other options available.
Some Tests or Procedures May Not Be Necessary
“As everyone who has ever visited the doctor knows, testing and treatments may be costly,” says Dr. Mitchell. In other circumstances, they may even be unneeded. So why don’t medical professionals always inform their patients if a test or operation might not be required? There are several potential causes.
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First, it’s possible that some medical professionals won’t know when a test or operation is unneeded. They might not be up to date on the most recent studies, or they could have been taught that it is always required. Second, a doctor could feel under pressure to order a test or operation even when they are aware that it is not essential.
You’re Being Denied the Best Treatment and Investigations Because Your Insurance Isn’t Covering It
According to Dr. Mitchell, informing a patient that their insurance won’t cover a certain therapy or investigation is one of the most difficult discussions a doctor may have with them. Not all therapies are equally accessible, which is an unfortunate aspect of the healthcare system and sometimes a cause of irritation and concern for patients.
There are a few reasons why physicians don’t always inform their patients that their insurance is the reason they aren’t getting the finest care, despite the fact that it may be alluring for them to do so. It’s crucial to keep a good relationship with the patient first and foremost. It’s possible that this talk may undermine confidence and make future discussions about care more difficult.
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Your Diet and Lifestyle Choices Significantly Impact Your Health
It’s no secret, according to Dr. Mitchell, that our diet and lifestyle choices have a significant influence on our health. “Our physical and emotional well-being can be impacted by a variety of factors, including the food we consume and the quantity of activity we get. Why then don’t physicians usually inform their patients of the significance of these options? There are several potential causes.
First off, a lot of the information out there about what makes for a healthy diet or way of life is incorrect. Even specialists may find it challenging to agree on the appropriate course of action given the abundance of contradictory information. Second, even if medical professionals could agree on the best approach to promote health, it’s possible that they wouldn’t have the time or resources to provide their patients specific instructions.