Medical malpractice sometimes results from the bad judgment of a treating doctor. You receive the wrong treatment, your condition is misdiagnosed, or crucial information about your condition is ignored. Sometimes signs of a bad doctor show up early when you talk to your doctor about your health. Here are some ways you can tell if your New York City doctor is not serving you well.
As Marketwatch explains, having a good relationship with your doctor is important. You need to feel free to explain your situation to your doctor. If you do not trust your doctor, you might hold back some details. Your doctor should also be a good listener. If you feel your physician is not attentive and frequently cuts you off as you speak and does not seem to respect you, you might have a problem.
You should also be cautious if your doctor immediately recommends the most extreme treatment option. A lot of doctors act cautiously, suggesting treatments that are more moderate and not as risky. Remember that some surgeries and treatments carry risk, and a good doctor does not leap to those options unless it is clear that you require it.
Additionally, patients should feel free to seek other opinions. This is not an insult to your treating doctor, but you want to be sure that your condition is properly diagnosed and a recommended treatment is appropriate for you. A doctor that will not consider the opinions of another physician and pressures you to take a certain medication or treatment is not providing you with sound advice.
A patient should also feel that he or she is getting the best out of a treatment. Your doctor should be honest about what you can expect, including prospects for improvement in your health. If you follow the instructions from your doctor to the letter and yet your condition does not improve, Mens Health cautions that you may want to look for another doctor. Persistent bad health is not always the result of poor judgment on the part of a doctor, but seeking an alternative doctor or opinion is worth considering.