Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with patient

When, if ever, can MJ's doctors talk about all of his surgeries?

msali — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:03:37 -0800

How far does doctor-patient confidentiality extend? Sparked by Michael Jackson's untimely demise, I grew curious about all of the doctors he obviously saw over the course of his adult life, who helped him change his appearance, administer drugs, etc. As a matter of fact, it sounds like one of his closest companions was a doctor. Now, I know that no doctor who has treated Michael Jackson is legally allowed to publicly state any confidential information regarding his treatment(s). But what if any of these doctors wrote down their recollections, and say, twenty-five years following their own death, those papers were unsealed, would it then be legal to publicize that information? Is doctor-patient confidentiality perpetual, or are there limits?

Preparing for a doctor appointment

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:36:23 -0800

When, if ever, is it reasonable to ask for a preemptive test? Given a family history of congestive heart failure I'm wondering how reasonable it is to reguest a MUGA or echocardiogram just to allay (or confirm) my own worries. I'm definitely already going to see a doctor, so I'm not asking for medical advice. I guess I am asking for perspective to help me frame my request with my physician. I'm 53 and have an upcoming appt with my internist regarding a different matter. Since I made that appointment my slightly older brother died a few weeks ago of sudden cardiac arrest at age 56. Apparently he had been seeing a doctor for congestive heart failure for a while. My other brother (age 59) received a stent some years ago while being diagnosed with diabetes and some degree of congestive heart failure. My mother died at age 66 of -- you guessed it -- congestive heart failure. Until my younger-older brother died, I was aware that my family history was not great, but his death has catapulted the issue of CHF to top-of-mind, to say the least. Yet...

I have what I assume to be the usual litany of complaints about getting older, but I tend to think of them as not really rising to the level of needing to be addressed. I received a good bill of health at my physical last year, along with the usual lifestyle warnings. (Salt, alcohol, maybe I should do some strength work in addition to walking, etc.) I just don't feel I have any acute physical complaints that would justify tests that are probably kind of expensive.

For anyone with perspective from the US health care community, am I one of those "walking worried" patients driving up costs for everyone, or would it be reasonable to push hard for a test to rule early CHF in or out?

Skin specialist in Melbourne AU?

Coaticass — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:07:24 -0800

Can anyone personally recommend a skin specialist in Melbourne, Australia? I wondered if anyone could recommend a good skin specialist in Melbourne (AU) for a VERY difficult elderly relative who has a history of nasty spots needing removal. Someone with good people skills who is prepared to explain everything in great detail. Alternatively- how can I find such a one? I'm afraid I don't know how to google for personal recommendations. His GP has apparently run out of suggestions (all were rejected) and/or saint-like patience- it had to happen eventually.

If it feels weird to post your recs here, there's always MeFi mail or email: coati dot cass at gmail dot com.

"I am not a man to be moved by a pretty face," muttered Ralph sternly.

prefpara — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:17:48 -0800

Dear doctors, nurses, undertakers, anatomists, and other professional seers of the secrets of the human body: how does your daily interaction with the inner workings of man affect the way you see your friends and lovers? In other words: if, for example, you're a surgeon, do you have a sort of background awareness of what's going on inside the people you interact with outside of the doctor-patient context? Like, if you're just knocking back a beer with your brother, do you have a low-level awareness of what his liver probably looks like based on the livers you've seen and touched? Or are the personal and professional worlds totally separate? Are you aware of any difference in the way you think of or relate to other people's bodies since your medical training began?

Thanks in advance for satisfying my curiosity.

TV medical drama with the ghost of a dead patient?

Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 11:22:33 -0800

I seem to remember an American TV medical drama in which one of the subplots concerned a patient who had died... but didn't realize he was dead. His ghost wandered around seeking treatment and couldn't understand why nobody paid attention to him. The show may have been "ER" but I'm not sure. Any one else remember this?

How do I work with Medical Professionals to receive the best possible care?

weston — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 18:57:10 -0800

Medical Professionals and Savvy Patients: what advice can you give for working with Doctors most effectively? If I'm not satisfied, should I look for new doctors, or revise my approach, or both? I sometimes find myself very frustrated with visits to the doctor's office. I often feel like I'm not being educated about my health, and that a diagnosis given is merely a quick guess, rather than a well-tested hypothesis. I don't see tests run that I'd often think would be of interest, and see tests run that don't make sense to me. I end up with unanswered questions and sometimes feel unsatisfied that a course of treatment is truly addressing the problem.

To illustrate with an example: several years ago when I was suffering terribly from mysterious abdominal pain, I was given a treadmill test to see if it could be cardiovascular related, when at the time I considered myself in good shape from regularly running, hiking, and biking (the treadmill test bore this out). I was given Nexium on the assumption it might be acid reflux (no go). Meanwhile, it took a year to find a doctor who thought that running a battery of tests on stool sample might be an interesting idea, where I thought this would have been obvious thing to do -- the illness *felt* intestinal, and so looking at what intestines produce seemed reasonable (though they found nothing).

I think through these experiences I've become a bit more insistent and pushier,
but it's still a lingering issue. Sometimes when I ask more questions, I've gotten jargon that I feel is designed to test whether or not I'm really ready to talk about physiology/biology on the doctor's level, and discourage further questions. Sometimes when I've tried to guide attention to theories I've been considering, I've found the matter dismissed without much explanation, or glossed over in the hurry that seems to be inherent in a doctor's office.

I understand from my own working experiences in technology that sometimes it's difficult to explain things to clients who don't have the first idea of the field. I'm also empathetic to the demands of time. But it's my health, and I'm gearing up to check out several new and lingering issues, and I want to do better at working with health care professionals to get things right.

Are there practices I can adopt that will help better exchange between my doctors and I? Any kind of self-education that can improve things without making me a hypochondriac? Is this a simple assertiveness issue? Or if I find myself feeling uncomfortable or not listened to, is that a sign I simply need to shop around more to find doctors on my wavelength and care I'm content with?

Do comatose patients dream?

cmonkey — Tue, 09 Nov 2004 11:41:47 -0800

Do comatose patients dream? Do they remember those dreams when they wake up? Additionally: do comatose patients ever have nightmares that they just can't wake up from (due to the coma)?