This November will mark my 26th year of living with chronic health conditions. I’ve had several appointments a month for the past 9 years. Working at a medical school and getting a masters degree in health care administration has given me more perspective on all of the difficulties health care providers face. I’ve learned a lot about what they have to deal with on a daily basis.
Without further ado, here are 12 things I’ve learned that providers often won’t tell you.
1. Insurance companies like it more if they give you a script for medications than if you go to PT.
Keep in mind that many people aren’t in favor of medications for pain right now. That said, this article about how we approach pain is WILD. Since medications are cheaper, they’re preferred – even if they’re not as effective as physical therapy, occupational therapy and more.
2. Insurance companies won’t generally cover alternative therapies – even if they help you.
Even medications that have been shown to be less addictive get the cut in favor of more common treatments and therapies. While that might be okay for some people, many others – like me – get a ton of relief from acupuncture. I’m lucky that I have access to a great local sliding scale clinic. In fact, that’s the only way I can afford it as often as I need it.
3. Insurance companies mess with their ability to provide the best care.
From refusing to cover medications and treatments to making patients jump through hoops and more, insurance companies are constantly interfering with the way providers give care.
If you want to learn more, the Global Healthy Living Foundation has done a study.
4. You don’t necessarily have to come to the office.
It may not always be right for mental health care, but telemedicine can be an incredibly important tool.
As a patient with both fragrance allergies and a compromised immune system, I hate going to the doctor’s office. I’ve become increasingly afraid of everything from colds and deodorant to the measles and shingles. Additionally, I’ve started working full-time not in my house! That means the travel time to and from the clinic is cramping my style.
If I had the ability to use telemedicine, I’d absolutely embrace it. It’s had some great results.
5. Getting enough sleep can help with a lot.
From a lack of energy to pain levels, getting the right amount of sleep can be key to improving so many things. This can be highly individualized, though. While some people need to disconnect from media to sleep well, others need the sounds and activity of podcasts or the television to catch those Zs.
Additionally, sleeping the right way can make all of the difference. Sleeping naked, for example, can be helpful to limit yeast infections by allowing genitals to breathe. Sleeping on your stomach can lead to neck and back issues. Using a pillow between your knees might help align your spine more optimally as a side sleeper.
6. Seeing new providers in the summer might be dangerous.
That’s the time of year residents most often begin to see patients at teaching hospitals. Being relatively new to the profession, they’re more likely to prescribe a medication that might not be the best for you.
Make sure that you question and look up medications, especially if you have concerns.
7. People are misdiagnosed and given the wrong medications relatively often.
According to a study in the BMJ, “diagnostic errors affect at least 1 in 20 US adults.” About half of these diagnostic errors could be fatal, especially when related to treatment.
It’s okay to push for second and third (and more!) opinions to go into situations with a sound mind.
8. If you’re looking to have surgery? Avoid Friday.
If you’re going to have a complication, it’ll often pop up the next day. This could leave you in the hands of people not as familiar with your case.
9. Medications have side effects – but so do lots of things.
Vitamins and anything ‘natural’ can interfere with your medications and even cause an uptick in some health conditions. St. John’s Wort – a staple for a lot of all-natural people – can cause heightened anxiety, fatigue, sunlight sensitivity, and more.
Just about anything you consume can have a side effect. One side effect of ice cream could be increased phlegm production. Other foods can cause heartburn, sleep disturbances, and more.
10. Providers generally don’t have to disclose a criminal history.
That could mean you don’t know your HCPs are violent sexual offenders like one Florida doctor. While some sites will show these things, not all do – especially if that provider has a private practice. Generally, teaching hospitals won’t hire those types of people… but they can always have their own drawbacks.
11. Their jobs aren’t like a 9-5.
Look, I know some patients aren’t interested in learning about provider burnout. It’s an important topic to dig into, though, because we have to remember that we’re all human here.
Not only is the weight of dealing with life and death often hard to handle, many providers don’t finish with their job during business hours. I used to work for pediatricians. They often wound up completing chart notes after dinner. This often led to staying up well into the early morning, only to be up by 6 AM to prepare for a new day.
Studies have shown having time to do things like read for fun is very helpful. While that’s great to know, when would providers find the time in that schedule? I just don’t know.
12. You may never be pain-free.
This can be a really tough thing to accept, so many providers just don’t broach the subject.
Pain is an alert system to draw your attention to something that needs your focus. This can start with something mundane like itching before moving on to various levels of pain.
Just because pain is inevitable doesn’t mean you should be forced to live with constant pain levels without relief. Talk with your providers about things you can try to decrease and manage your pain.