Questions on Why? Part 3

If you have a medical problem, or something is bothering you or a member of your family, The Jackson County Times now has a local physician, Dr. John Spence, of the Panhandle Family Care Associates available to respond to your questions through his weekly column.

Last but not least, this is the third in a series of articles globally entitled: Medicine Demystified. I have attempted to break down some of the inherent barriers that frequently disable good doctor-patient relationships. I will finish with a word about the so-called "god complex" and then address several difficult issues encountered in an office setting..

God complex: I have a real problem with physicians who purvey an attitude of invincibility. We are all human. I just happen to be good at what I do and went to school a long time to get there. We can all be good at whatever we’re trained to do. Ask me to fix your car – it won’t happen. The so-called "god-complex" disables good doctor-patient interactions, destroys autonomy and has no place in medicine. Confidence does not equal arrogance and arrogance does not guarantee better care. Find a doctor without the ego.

Difficult Issues: Physicians dislike narcotics (at least most do!) Too many habitual drug users manipulate their MD for pain medications through doctor shopping, faking injury or milking their own misfortunes. Patients who abuse or divert medications for secondary gain have burned us all. The sad truth is that it is extremely difficult to weed these folks out.

I generally try to give my patient the benefit of the doubt when it comes to pain management. Unfortunately, not all physicians are the same – they refuse to manage pain syndromes at all and treat these individuals with suspicion and contempt. They fear lawsuits, DEA disapproval and have a general concern about being manipulated. Until there is a universal computerized tracking system for prescriptions, this narcotic dilemma will persist.

Another pet peeve of mine is the failure to treat pain. I have multiple geriatric patients who suffer miserably from severe intractable pain as a consequence of a chronic medical condition such as osteoarthritis or restless legs syndrome. They have seen other doctors who have refused to prescribe pain medications stating, "I don’t want you to get addicted" or "you’re getting older; you should expect some pain at your age"

This logic is ridiculous and near-sighted. Any good doc knows that dependence does not equal addiction. Why should my 92-year-old patient suffer from severe pain when a simple twice a day pain med could alleviate their symptoms? Don’t let your doctor use the above arguments to discourage your quest for pain relief! They are obligated to improve your quality of life!

I am not perfect, but I value my patients’ time, feelings and autonomy. I am not your boss; I work for you and with you. If you are uncomfortable with what you are getting out of your doctor’s visits, look around. Word of mouth speaks volumes. You deserve the best.

Do you have any medical questions or concerns that you would like addressed? You can contact Dr. Spence by mailing your question to Daily Dose, P.O. Box 6107, Marianna, FL 32446.