Perhaps you live the healthiest lifestyle possible, eating the right foods and partaking in regular exercise. While this behavior will contribute to your overall well-being, some ailments are simply out of your hands.
If you become so ill that you require medical intervention, you rely on a doctor that you can trust to protect your best interests. Doctors go through many years of training before they can practice, acquiring expertise in their field as well as the skills to manage patient loads. However, it is important to remember that doctors are only human, which means they are not immune from acting unprofessionally or making errors.
As a patient, you have a say in who treats you. If you feel uncomfortable, you have every right to change the doctor who oversees your care.
Are you being listened to?
While modern medicine and testing methods can give you an accurate diagnosis, they are not the only part of the process. Often, the only way for a physician to accurately gauge your symptoms is to listen. You know better than anyone what is going on in your body, and how you are feeling. Has your doctor blatantly ignored your views? This could be a sign that you need to change physician.
Ego can obstruct your treatment
In any profession, it is rare that one individual knows all there is to know. This is also true for medicine. Your medical treatment should comprise of a competent team, who are able to communicate effectively and uncover a course of treatment that will make you better. If your doctor is insistent on going it alone, they may not ultimately have your best interests at heart.
The doctor/patient relationship is founded upon trust. You have a right to the best possible treatment, and if you have been let down, there may be legal options open to you.
