What strategies do you use when Dr not listening or taking serious?

The solution is to go to a different doctor and tell the new doctor what you experienced with the former doctor. Jot down all your health issues that you’ve been experiencing, before going and go over each one. Sometimes if you are totally up front with the doctor, it resets their attention to really listen to what you are saying to them. I’ve had to do this several times over the years, as a doctor you’ve been seeing for awhile, tends to only partially listen - many are too focused on how much time your visit is taking, as they are essential on the clock with each patient with their practice and the insurance companies. No matter what, even if it takes several different doctors, stand up for yourself and demand that they listen to what you need to tell them. We have to be our own advocate.

@mbixler

Both genders are impacted. Most Doctors today are employees of a Clinic. They are all installing AI-driven terminals. My Gastroenterologist sat in front of me and typed furiously last visit. It all started 3 years ago with my former PCP.

Here is what I plan to say next time I visit with any medical provider (M.D.; PA or Nurses excepted); "I would like to ask you to have someone do your typing (Or record our dialogue) so that you can listen closely to what I say, and respond thoughtfully. I need your thinking and focus, because the outcome depends upon it. I am not paying you to be a medical transcriptionist.")

@leeman25 Our clinic uses an AI "bot" to transcribe the conversation during appointments, then the clinician simply edits it afterwards. At our most recent visit the doctor said - I like it, AI catches some things we discuss that I either missed completely, or only remembered on review.
We are able to see the edited document in the portal afterwards, so we can email the doc if there are errors.
We feel now like we have their full attention during the visit, have time to ask more questions, and come away with a lot more information. It's especially helpful with specialists, where it takes months to get an appointment, and return visits are limited.
Our ortho practice uses human transcribers in the room, which works equally well, but I'm sure is more costly. These are nearly all pre-med or physician assistant students, so they get a view into the "real world" of clinical practice.

Having recently been in the hospital with a family member, I wish they do contemporaneous documentation of ANY kind. There was nobody transcribing, or even taking notes, during our encounters - it would be interesting to know when the documentation actually happened, because sometimes an hour or longer after a doctor said "I am ordering...", the nurse could not find med or treatment orders. We got home to read all the notes & reports, and found some things listed that were never discussed, including some that were not part of the diagnosis (or even remotely possible), yet some important issues not mentioned. But then, these docs were running from patient to patient, between two hospitals - so no wonder. This needs to be better - no wonder there are medical errors.

So now, we are dealing with the after-visits with new specialists, and having to explain what actually happened.

Hi all, venting about the decline of medical care can help to feel less alone. Venting is allowed.

However, I'd like to turn this discussion around to focus on strategies that helped you. You may receive care in a variety of settings, urban or rural, community hospital, academic medical center, primary care physician, walk-in clinic. Regardless of the country or the setting, patients need and deserve good medical care.

How can you get the best out of the medical care available to you? What strategies have you used to feel heard and seen, and to work well with your doctor?

@sing26 "Medicine has advanced and care has declined." That is the perfect description of what is happening. Thank you for that. I have a whole round of appointments coming up in January and all I feel is "what is the point, they're not listening." Get you in, get that billing information, and rush you through with a pat on the head and if not a diagnosis that blames you, then just a generic pill. Given the side effects of what they have me on now, I'd almost rather stop taking the pills and enjoy having an actual life until I keel over.

@sing26 "Medicine has advanced and care has declined." That is the perfect description of what is happening. Thank you for that. I have a whole round of appointments coming up in January and all I feel is "what is the point, they're not listening." Get you in, get that billing information, and rush you through with a pat on the head and if not a diagnosis that blames you, then just a generic pill. Given the side effects of what they have me on now, I'd almost rather stop taking the pills and enjoy having an actual life until I keel over.

@leeman25 Our clinic uses an AI "bot" to transcribe the conversation during appointments, then the clinician simply edits it afterwards. At our most recent visit the doctor said - I like it, AI catches some things we discuss that I either missed completely, or only remembered on review.
We are able to see the edited document in the portal afterwards, so we can email the doc if there are errors.
We feel now like we have their full attention during the visit, have time to ask more questions, and come away with a lot more information. It's especially helpful with specialists, where it takes months to get an appointment, and return visits are limited.
Our ortho practice uses human transcribers in the room, which works equally well, but I'm sure is more costly. These are nearly all pre-med or physician assistant students, so they get a view into the "real world" of clinical practice.

Having recently been in the hospital with a family member, I wish they do contemporaneous documentation of ANY kind. There was nobody transcribing, or even taking notes, during our encounters - it would be interesting to know when the documentation actually happened, because sometimes an hour or longer after a doctor said "I am ordering...", the nurse could not find med or treatment orders. We got home to read all the notes & reports, and found some things listed that were never discussed, including some that were not part of the diagnosis (or even remotely possible), yet some important issues not mentioned. But then, these docs were running from patient to patient, between two hospitals - so no wonder. This needs to be better - no wonder there are medical errors.

So now, we are dealing with the after-visits with new specialists, and having to explain what actually happened.