Is your IVF doctor taking you for a ride ?
|
Selecting the right doctor is one of the most difficult decisions an
infertile couple needs to make. Most people use a hit and miss approach
towards finding that doctor. They will ask friends for recommendations;
family members who are in the medical profession for referrals; or go
to the doctor whose name appeared in the latest newspaper article.
Unfortunately , none of these are reliable methods for choosing the
right doctor – and woe betide the poor infertile couple who stuck with
the wrong doctor !
Even though there is no easy formula which
works for everyone ,it always amazes me how patients continue going to
a clinic even when they are not happy with it ! This is partly because
patients perceive they are helpless; and partly because they
underestimate their ability to judge the technical proficiency of a
doctor.
Deciding which doctor to go is perhaps the only major
medical decision which is under your control. Since this has such a
huge impact on the outcome of your treatment, it is too important to
leave this up to chance . You need to follow a systematic process , so
you have peace of mind you made the right decision.
Here are some simple suggestions which will help you to make sure that the IVF doctor you select is not taking you for a ride.
The
first visit will give you a lot of valuable information. Unfortunately
patients are often so anxious and apprehensive during this visit, that
they often fail to make the most of it. The first consultation is not
just an opportunity for the doctor to make a diagnosis and formulate a
treatment plan for you - it is also an occasion for you to judge
whether this clinic is the right clinic for you.
First
impressions are valuable –please learn to trust your gut feelings. Does
the doctor make you wait for ever and ever before seeing you ? Do you
get a chance to talk to the doctor or are you stuck speaking to his
assistants ? Is the staff respectful towards you ? Do they appreciate
that your time is valuable ? Are they empathetic ? Remember that the
doctor’s personality rubs off onto his staff – and if his staff is rude
and uncaring, it is quite likely that the doctor will be rude as well !
When
you are a new patient, you are likely to be treated extremely well ,
because the doctor wants you to become his patient. Repeat visits are
likely to be mirror images of the first visit. If the clinic is badly
organized; if you are made to wait aimlessly without rhyme or reason;
and if you get to talk to the doctor for only 4-5 minutes, these are
all red flags which should alert you that you are in the wrong place.
Yes, doctors can be extremely busy, but if they are so busy that they
do not even have time to talk politely to you , then what value are
such busy doctors to you ?
Does the doctor formulate a treatment
plan for you ? Does he have a well -organized systematic approach , so
that you know exactly what is happening ? Does he take the time and
trouble to educate and inform you , so that that you are empowered to
make your own decisions ? Is he empathetic ? Or does he talk down to
you and interrupt you ? Does he take phone calls when doing a
consultation ? Or does he give you his undivided attention ? How the
doctor behaves during this first visit is going to be pretty much
exactly how he is going to behave in all future visits - and if you are
not happy with his personality or bedside manner please find another
doctor.
The one thing which always perplexes me is why patients
sign up to do a second IVF cycle in the same clinic even when they are
not happy with the doctor ! Remember that no doctor has a monopoly. You
are spending your hard earned money , and the least you can expect is
good quality service . On the other hand, if your doctor provides poor
quality services and you are willing to put up with it , then you
really should not complain when this is what you get !
A lot of
patients complain about the lack of transparency on the part of the
doctor. They say that the doctor refuses to provide them with their
medical records ; or to share information with them. I think any
patient who accepts this behavior from their doctor deserves what he
gets. You have a legal right to your medical records , and your doctor
is obliged to give these to you . However , you may need to ask ! It
takes two hands to clap - and if you do not ask , you are not likely to
get what you want ! Blaming the doctor cannot justify your lack of
initiative .
A good clinic will routinely provide you with a
treatment summary of your IVF procedure ; as well as photographic
documentation of your embryos . This is a tangible endpoint, which
demonstrates the technical proficiency of the clinic, and assures you
that the clinic is medically competent. If your doctor refuses to give
you a treatment summary even when you request him for one, this is a
major black mark against your doctor, and you need to be on your guard.
Do not get fobbed off by silly excuses – for example, " It is our
clinic policy not to provide you with your records ! " You have a legal
right to your medical records , and your doctor is obliged to give
these to you – he has no choice in the matter !
The other
common excuse patients provide for putting up with poor quality
treatment is – But I am not an expert ! What do I understand about the
treatment ? I just believe everything the doctor tells me !
Unfortunately , ignorance is not bliss , and you cannot afford to take
such a hands-off approach. While you don't need to become an IVF
specialist yourself, you must take the time and trouble to become well
informed about what your treatment involves. I feel enormous pity for
patients who have been through an IVF cycle, and who do not even know
how many cells their embryos had or what their quality was . If you
allow your doctor to leave you in an information void, then why should
you complain when he does so ?
Does this mean that you should be
suspicious about your doctor and not trust him at all ? Of course not !
What it means is that you should trust your doctor - but only after you
have determined that he deserves your trust. Trust is too important for
you to just give away – your doctor needs to earn it !
In the
final analysis, I feel patients get the doctors they deserve. The more
the effort you put into selecting the right doctor, the better your
chances are of finding the best doctor ! |
|
|
