“I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places.”
~Henny Youngman
Some people believe the body is the temple of the Lord. So it stands to reason that it doesn’t always get the attention it deserves and often is ignored altogether. But it shouldn't be, and especially not at the doctor's office. And one thing medical professionals and patients alike can agree on is that doctor/patient communication could use some improvement.
A new study by ImagineMD, is raising questions about the consequences of rushed doctor visits. The company surveyed some 3,000 Americans, inquiring about experiences with primary care doctors and found what they say are some alarming trends:
- 9 in 10 doctors never inquire about opioid abuse.
- Less than 20% of doctors adequately inquire about mental health.
- Less than 10% of doctors mention preventative health measures related to driving.
Dr. Alex Lickerman, founder and CEO of ImagineMD—a Chicago-based direct primary care (DPC) practice that charges a monthly membership fee and doesn't accept insurance—said, “It’s almost hard to believe, across America, primary care doctors are neglecting to talk to patients about the things most likely to kill them [such as] drug overdose, suicide, traffic accidents, etc.”
Lickerman said “Though they serve as the foremost authorities on our health, doctors spend mere minutes with us each year, often less time than we spend filling out paperwork or decoding benefit plans. In these brief encounters, what subjects could possibly be covered in any detail? Considering the many important threads that make up an individual’s health and wellness and inevitable questions about oddly persistent rashes and dull aches between the shoulders … how much is left unsaid?”
ImagineMD’s survey aptly investigated the following question: “Do doctors adequately address with their patients the leading causes of death in America?” Surveyors divided their analysis into two respondent groups, ages 15-44 and 45-64, and focused on the most preventable causes of death. They then asked patients to consider carefully which subjects their doctors have raised in conversation with them and to what degree.
Lickerman said that even though the opioid crisis has been a national epidemic for several years now, fewer than 1 in 10 Americans reported to surveyors that their doctors have raised the subject with them. He said it “represents a significant failure of the healthcare system to address it.”
In its analysis of individuals ages 45-64, the company saw what Lickerman calls evidence of neglected fundamentals. “In a group where coronary heart disease is the most common cause of death, and people are often in the thick of midlife crises, demanding careers and intense family demands, the subject of stress gets raised in less than half of doctor-patient relationships.”
The bottom line, according to Lickerman, is that American doctors are failing to engage their patients in dialogue around issues that have the greatest impact on their health.
