How Doctors Try To Get Rid Of Patients

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Executive Producer: Doctor Mike
Production Director and Editor: Dan Owens
Managing Editor and Producer: Sam Bowers
Editor and Designer: Caroline Weigum
Editor: Juan Carlos Zuniga

* Select photos/videos provided by Getty Images *

** The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional **

[kbnnkb]

The amount of respect I would have for a dr if they just were honest with me and said “I’m overloaded I can’t take you as a patient rn” would be immeasurable

[Debberdoon]

Punting happens to people with autoimmune disease all the time and often things that can kill them get missed.

[rebeccahicks]

A lot of people have been on the receiving end of this, it's astounding to find a doctor speaking openly about it.

[strike_true]

Anyone who has or knows someone with a chronic illness knows this. Medical negligence is the reason people with these illnesses get worse. When one doctor doesn't want to deal with you they'll punt you off to some other department, and they'll take months to review your referral. They always tell people that if they have flares with their illness to go into the ER but the ER doctors are usually useless when it comes to these issues. As a patient, you get stuck bouncing between ER visits without getting actual medical help.

[VitaInDC]

My mother called it "passing around the patient like a bag of chips".

[catT]

So many people in the disabled & chronic illness communities go through this as patients.

[daniellean]

I miss the "family doctor" era. Where the doctor knew you, knew your family history and didn't have to work "so hard" because a lot of it was based off of historical knowledge, discernment and maintance.

[moviescores]

i had back pain from the age of 12, went to the doctors multiple times, was told "its growning pains" was given painkillers and sent home, i went back about 20 times within 10 years with the problem getting worse and worse, i could bearly get out of bed because of the pain, they kept being given painkillers and and told to go home, and one day i must have arrived on a less stressful day for my GP and he mentioned AS (Ankylosing Spondylitis), i was tested for HLA-B27, and it came back positive, he sent me to a rheumatology specialist, now im on a golimumab injections every month, an immunosuppressant, and im 1000 times better, i know its hard and very stressful being a GP can be and i dont blame him that i had to wait for 10 years for a diagnosis, im just happy they found the reason and im not crippled with pain everyday anymore

[moboticusmaximus]

Twenty years of punting later and I was finally diagnosed with MS this year.

[fulumukwevho]

My friend once said “Doctors passed him around like a blunt”. RIP Broski ❤️

[akisok]

And patients absolutely know when they're being punted too.

[matthewfranklin]

I recently got diagnosed with ME/CFS after probably 50+ doctors appointments and specialists. The doctor told me “most doctors don’t want to deal with fatigue so I take on these cases”. Honestly if the doctors I saw prior had just told me they can’t take me as a patient bc they’re overloaded I would have respected them more

[drlnd]

I would absolutely respect a doctor if they told me they were going to refer me to someone else because they have too much on their plates to do proper diagnostic work. I don't respect this ^ Everyone gets overwhelmed. It's understandable. Just be honest. There's nothing I hate more than being lied to, strung along, and having my time wasted*, especially when it comes to my health.

[DeniseSkidmore]

"You're too young to have this much wrong with you." (Passes back my symptom list.)

[a.bertasso]

I was having difficulty having something diagnosed and had spent a year at one hospital system before moving to the other main hospital system in town. The first doctor I encountered once I switched hospital systems could have washed his hands of me because it was determined that it was not something related to his specialty. But he actually said to me, "I can tell you've been kicked around, and I am going to help you figure this out." I think it was a combination of genuine compassion and his natural curiosity...a real medical detective. I broke down and cried right then when he said he wanted to help me.

[HLJlovejoy]

This is real. It’s an absolute blessing when you find a well trained, humble, honest & caring doctor. Nowadays there’s no telling what you’ll get.

[xxFreakifyxx]

My stepmom is a doctor and literally every one does it because no one can handle that emotional load and be personally invested in the lives of hundreds of patients. She’s been treating some families for multiple generations and it always affects her when her geriatric patients pass away. Not all doctors are as empathetic because of an emotional boundary they have to set to keep working diligently

[stay_gold]

this is 100% the reason i’m disabled. early intervention was key.

[jonathans]

Doctor at my funeral: “just wanted to let you know that your lab results came back normal”

[Babesinthewood]

My father still works as a doctor at 78, and he doesn’t punt. He got his education during a time when med-school was 15 years. He solves problems by asking questions, testing etc, and it works. Maybe it’s about having sufficient knowledge. I think dr House is his favourite tv character.