Getting the Right Diagnosis
In order to receive proper treatment you have to receive the correct diagnosis.
You would think that getting it right would be easy, but the body is a mysterious organism and doesn't always give up its mystery easily.
The other trouble with getting the correct diagnosis is that too many illnesses present with similar symptoms.
Research shows that 10-15% of all diagnoses are wrong.
This information is determined at the time of autopsy.
What would have been different for the patient if they had received the correct diagnosis? Tell Your Story Upon arrival in the exam room the doctor will want to know what brought you in to the office today.
The problem is that after about twenty seconds into your story the doctor has already made a diagnosis.
Through years of training, patient experience and the pressure of managed care to treat quickly doctors will make a diagnosis and often interrupt you before you finished telling your story.
Once you're in the exam room take the time you need.
Tell the doctor the whole story.
If you're looking for answers to what is potentially a life-threatening illness, the signs and symptoms didn't just show up the morning of the exam.
Differential Diagnosis Know ahead of time that because many illnesses present with similar symptoms, doctors often have what they call a differential diagnosis.
The differential diagnosis is the diagnosis it could be if the doctor didn't believe it to be the first result.
Following the results, if you're unsure or unclear it's fine to ask the doctor what else could this be? When you ask that type of question, the doctor will take time to think outside the box and come up with not only other possibilities, but other tests that could confirm the alternate diagnosis.
Doctor Confidence Make sure you feel confident with your doctor.
There are many factors that contribute to your feeling confident and they don't depend on the number of plaques hanging on the wall.
It's important that you watch the doctor's facial expressions and body language.
Where is the doctor seated in the room? How formal are they with you? Use your intuition to decide how comfortable you feel while sitting with the doctor and how confident you feel in their decision making process.
Don't allow the term "inconclusive results" be the end of the conversation.
If necessary, you be the one to develop a plan by asking "What's next".
Unanswered questions are unacceptable when it comes to your health.
It follows that the right diagnosis is the step that leads to the right treatment.
Only you know what it feels like to live inside your body, making you the expert.
Your health is not the time to be complacent.
The bottom line is if you don't feel confident in the diagnosis or confidence in the doctor seek out other medical treatment.
You would think that getting it right would be easy, but the body is a mysterious organism and doesn't always give up its mystery easily.
The other trouble with getting the correct diagnosis is that too many illnesses present with similar symptoms.
Research shows that 10-15% of all diagnoses are wrong.
This information is determined at the time of autopsy.
What would have been different for the patient if they had received the correct diagnosis? Tell Your Story Upon arrival in the exam room the doctor will want to know what brought you in to the office today.
The problem is that after about twenty seconds into your story the doctor has already made a diagnosis.
Through years of training, patient experience and the pressure of managed care to treat quickly doctors will make a diagnosis and often interrupt you before you finished telling your story.
Once you're in the exam room take the time you need.
Tell the doctor the whole story.
If you're looking for answers to what is potentially a life-threatening illness, the signs and symptoms didn't just show up the morning of the exam.
Differential Diagnosis Know ahead of time that because many illnesses present with similar symptoms, doctors often have what they call a differential diagnosis.
The differential diagnosis is the diagnosis it could be if the doctor didn't believe it to be the first result.
Following the results, if you're unsure or unclear it's fine to ask the doctor what else could this be? When you ask that type of question, the doctor will take time to think outside the box and come up with not only other possibilities, but other tests that could confirm the alternate diagnosis.
Doctor Confidence Make sure you feel confident with your doctor.
There are many factors that contribute to your feeling confident and they don't depend on the number of plaques hanging on the wall.
It's important that you watch the doctor's facial expressions and body language.
Where is the doctor seated in the room? How formal are they with you? Use your intuition to decide how comfortable you feel while sitting with the doctor and how confident you feel in their decision making process.
Don't allow the term "inconclusive results" be the end of the conversation.
If necessary, you be the one to develop a plan by asking "What's next".
Unanswered questions are unacceptable when it comes to your health.
It follows that the right diagnosis is the step that leads to the right treatment.
Only you know what it feels like to live inside your body, making you the expert.
Your health is not the time to be complacent.
The bottom line is if you don't feel confident in the diagnosis or confidence in the doctor seek out other medical treatment.
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