When it comes to having too much faith in medical science, I think
the issue lies in the expectation that there will be a treatment or pill
for everything. For example some people may think they do not have
to work out to lose weight because they can take a drug, drink a
smoothie, or get surgery to solve the problem. However people do
not realize the extent of the risks that come along with medical
treatments nor do they fully understand the side effects of poor life
choices. Although there are promises of cancer drugs, that does not
mean that activities such as smoking are then “safe” because there
may eventually be a treatment for lung cancer.
Being an active participant in your own health requires a lot of effort
and can be difficult because of the amount of information that exists.
For just as many stories you hear about physicians not ordering
routine tests or missing diagnoses, you also head stories from friends
or relatives stating that they were told they have x condition, and it
means y and z for them, but they can barely remember the medical
term the doctor used or tell you anything that they have found via
their own research. Some people have too much trust in their
doctors and do not have any sense of skepticism. Because they
talked to a doctor they think that they must be right or they must be
good, especially if they have a good bedside manner; research has
shown that these doctors get better reviews compared to doctors
who may be more skilled but have poorer bedside manner (Chen,
2008).
Working as a physical therapist I cannot count the number of
individuals who have come to their initial evaluation stating that they
don’t know why they are here because they’re just going to need
surgery anyways or that a surgeon has told them something along
the lines of “whether you see me now or in 15 years, I’m going to see
you on my operating table”. The majority of patients I see do want to
take their health into their own hands which is why they attend
therapy to manage their pain or conditions conservatively. However
there are many patients who fail to ask their physicians or specialists
for more information on their conditions, their treatment options,
how often they see or treat said condition, the techniques or
procedures commonly used for treatment and the associated success
rates (NIH NIA, 2020). This is especially problematic as the number
of conditions and treatment options seem to be growing and medical
care is not one size fits all. Patients must weigh their personal
preferences and medical history to decide what is best for them.
References
Chen, P. W. (2008, December 18). Do patients trust doctors too
much? The New York Times. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/health/18chen.html
NIH NIA. (2020, February 3). What should I ask my doctor during a
checkup? National Institute on Aging. Retrieved January 17, 2022,
from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-should-i-ask-my-doctor-
during-checkup
