A Doctor’s Guide to Stop Gaslighting Patients

Recently, I put up a poll on Twitter, asking people if they’ve been misunderstood, dismissed, or misdiagnosed by their doctor or healthcare provider. 2,000 people voted, and the result is astonishing.

An overwhelming 97% people voted “yes”.

We need to change how we practice medicine, STAT.

Here are the 11 lessons I learned from the gracious comments poll takers left:

Believe the patient. Every time. Now.

Learning from the patients should be the norm, not the exception. The expert of the patient’s body is sitting right in front of us.

Health can be discussed at every size, in any gender, race, age, and physical ability. Refusing to move on from these factors is bad medicine.

Enough said (typed).

Ask the patient about their goals of care. And let that lead the visit.

“Normal”, “common”, and “typical” were defined based on male-dominant/exclusive research data. We don’t know the true extend of many “rare” conditions. Be open-minded.

Don’t just label patients “psychosomatic”, do a thorough work up. Maybe two. Or three. Make the referrals when in doubt.

It takes tremendous courage to be vulnerable. Don’t take it for granted. Respect patients’ vulnerability with our words and actions.

Don’t ignore pain. It’s when providers throw pain meds at people just to get them out of their hair that meds are misused. Addressing pain is just part of being a good doctor/practitioner.

There are many conditions we don’t have a diagnostic test for, that doesn’t mean they aren’t “real”. Look at the numbers, but more importantly, Listen. To. The. Patient.

Is race the risk factor? Or racism?