Yep, you read that right. Sometimes it’s the doctor’s fault. We’re not perfect. Sometimes we’re in a hurry to get to the next patient, and we go too fast during an exam. Sometimes we don’t remember everything from a patient’s medical history. Sometimes we’re just having a really bad day and we’re less pleasant than we should be.

And sometimes, the doctor is actively sabotaging the patient’s medical care.

As a patient, you have a right to adequate healthcare from the people you are entrusting with your life. If the doctor is not respecting the patient-doctor relationship, you have a right to demand change – and to take action if that does not happen.

Today we’re going to discuss when the doctor is at fault. We’ll look at some of the most common failings in bedside manner that can sabotage the patient-doctor relationship, as well as what you, as a patient, can do to exercise your rights to receive proper care.

When your Doctor Doesn’t Know the Meaning of “Bedside Manner”

Rudeness, aggressive behavior, argumentativeness. You know that if you behave this way, you’re going to receive less-than-stellar care from your doctor. But what if they’re the one treating you poorly? The fact is they have no right to do so, and you have a right to demand the same respect from your doctor than you give them.

The problem is that patients often feel powerless against their doctors. This is a serious concern when people entrust medical professionals with their health and welfare. It is an easy trap to fall into. Patients need their doctors to help them make sense of scary, often life-threatening situations. But this is no excuse for a doctor treating you poorly!

Your doctor can be firm with you. They can tell you bluntly when you are hurting yourself by skipping antibiotics or eating poorly. But if they resort to rude behavior, shouting, insults, or other aggressive practices, you should consider filing a complaint to the facility or office manager.

Most importantly, you should consider finding another physician, someone who respects you. (You’ll probably notice this piece of advice come up again and again in this article)

Always Running Late

This is a tough one. Your doctor is, to a large degree, at the whim of his or her schedule. If previous patients arrived late, or if their treatment necessarily took extra time, your doctor is going to run late, and there’s very little they can do about it.

On the flipside, your time is valuable. You have a right to express when chronic lateness is an issue, and at the least to inquire about the reason for it. A doctor who is chronically late may be so poor at managing their own time that it makes sense for you to change physicians. The ability to manage time properly is an important skillset for a doctor to have, and if they lack it, you have a right to find someone who will not waste too much of your time.

Sexual Harassment and Drug/Alcohol Abuse

There is little worse than being betrayed by the person entrusted with your health and welfare, but some doctors do just that. Sexual harassment by medical professionals is absolutely, 100% unforgivable. It is absolutely imperative that you terminate your relationship with a doctor who makes you feel uncomfortable or who makes sexual advances toward a patient.

Many people find it difficult to file a complain in the event of sexual harassment. It can be an intensely personal, embarrassing, and traumatic experience to prolong and relive through the process of reporting. However, if you can bring yourself to do so, filing a report can help prevent future episodes like what you have experienced. The choice is yours, but no matter what, do not let yourself feel preyed upon by someone you should be able to trust.

Drug and alcohol abuse is more common, but often harder to identify and address. Most of us know someone who has struggled with this problem, and we may have sympathy for them – but a medical professional, who is responsible for many lives besides their own, cannot be allowed to perform  their job while intoxicated, high, or hung over. There is simply too much at stake.

If you ever come across a physician with alcohol or drug issues in a clinical setting, immediately report this to your nurse or insist on discussing this with a hospital administrator. Lives may be saved by your action.

Trouble with Hygiene

Finally, it’s important for your doctor to stay hygienic. This isn’t just for appearances! A doctor needs to stay clean to help prevent infection and maintain a sterile environment. On top of that, if your doctor is coming in disheveled and unwashed, it is likely a sign of other problems, such as alcohol abuse. Regardless, if you notice a problem, your best bet is to report it to the office manager and consider seeing a different doctor.

Hopefully these things never come up, but if they do, the tips above should help you identify any potential issues and what you can do to exercise your rights. If you haven’t already seen it, check out this article I wrote on how you, the patient, can hold up your end of the bargain to ensure a great patient-doctor relationship.

Not everyone receives the same medical care. It’s true, if unfortunate. But what many people don’t realize is that several individuals, seeing the same doctor, with the same insurance coverage, and with the exact same ailments, often receive different qualities of care!

As it turns out, doctors (and other medical professionals) are only human. They have likes and dislikes, good days and bad days. Some doctors are responsible and ethical and try their hardest to treat every patient the same. Others… not so much. All these things can impact your quality of care, for better or for worse. And when your health is on the line, that can be a big problem.

As a patient, it’s important to know what you can do to improve your chances of receiving optimal health care. In this case, it’s all about managing the patient-doctor relationship. Your job is to receive the best possible health care; in order to do that, you should strive to make things as easy on the doctor as possible, while also understanding your rights and how to identify when your doctor is not treating you with the respect and care you deserve.

Today we’re going to talk a little about how to be a good patient. Or rather, let’s talk about how to be a bad patient, and why it results in getting worse health care.

Ditch the Rude ‘tude

Rudeness, aggressive behavior, argumentativeness. We’ve all been there, maybe even with our doctor. Perhaps she ran late. Maybe we’re feeling terrible and we’ve had to sit in the waiting room for an hour and a half. Maybe he seems like he’s glossing over the real problem and we’re getting frustrated.

The problem is that doctors will often respond in kind. They’re busy, behind, dealing with dozens of sick and upset people at the same time, all while managing staff and their own schedules. Even worse, they might simply try to rush you through the exam in order to process them quickly. This is terrible for everyone involved, but especially for you!

Of course it isn’t your job to manage your doctor’s mood or make sure they have a bright day. But if you want to receive the best possible care, it’s worth your while to make the best out of a crummy situation.

Be on Time, and Don’t Miss your Appointments!

This one might seem self-explanatory, but what people don’t realize is that when you run late or have to be re-scheduled during a busy time, the doctor has less time to perform a thorough examination. That means in many cases you’re getting sub-optimal care right out the gate! There are only so many minutes in the day, and if the doctor is rushed, they are simply not going to do as good a job as they could given more time. And they can’t simply push back every other appointment to give you more time (though they are likely going to have to push back their appointments at least a little, anyway).

On top of all this, medical facilities keep detailed records of your appointments and cancellations. If you become known for skipping appointments without notice or showing up late, you may receive sub-optimal care simply because you’ve drawn the ire of the doctor and nurses. You may have trouble getting scheduled in due to your poor record, and many offices will stop accepting you as a result of habitual missed appointments. Avoid this at all costs! If you have to cancel, make sure to give as much notice as possible – and show up on time, every time.

Be Knowledgeable, Be Honest, Be Compliant

This is the simplest rule of all. If you have existing medical conditions, know what they are, what drugs you are currently taking, and any important details about your condition. If you don’t know your own body, your doctor is not going to know how to treat you.

Be honest with your doctor about these conditions, and in answering questions about yourself. If you lie to your doctor or hide information, even information that doesn’t seem important, your doctor is going to reach false conclusions, and may overlook critical parts of your condition or treatment.

Be compliant with treatment instructions. Otherwise your visit is wasted, and you may actually do more harm to your body than good! Follow the exact instructions when taking drugs or undergoing treatments. Don’t stop early because you feel fine, or because it’s too much of a hassle to complete the treatment. You only get one body. Don’t waste it!

Be Clean

Last, but not least, be clean. This might seem like it goes without saying, but ill people especially may come into a clinic with very poor hygiene. It can be tough to tell when your nose is stuffed up or you’re otherwise preoccupied with being sick. But trust me… your nurses and doctors can tell. Take the extra 10 minutes in the morning to make sure you’re clean. You want to make sure your doctor is comfortable spending as much time as possible in close proximity to you to make sure they perform a thorough exam.

In a future post, we’ll talk at length about the red flags that indicate it may be the doctor who is sabotaging the patient-doctor relationship – and what you can do to exercise your rights.