![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 44. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 9:55:44
Am I missing something here? I was always under the impression that psychiatrists were supposed to TALK to their patients. I keep hearing of 'meds only' psychiatrists who apparantly perform 10 minute 'med checks'. Would someone please tell me how a psychiatrist is supposed to choose an appropriate medication if they haven't even talked to their patient for long enough to understand what their problem is?
Ed
Posted by sleepygirl on January 25, 2006, at 10:08:50
In reply to Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 9:55:44
uh........guessing??
Posted by shasling on January 25, 2006, at 10:13:19
In reply to Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 9:55:44
They start with their favorite. Then they guess...
Its funny you post this, I swear I was ruminating on that exact thought while driving in this morning. I do remember back when they spent an hour with you, but not so much any more. Not in the US. They'll blame it on the system, but they really just make more money this way, don't they? Treatment suffers, but oh, well.
Priorities.
Oh, I hate to be so cynical, but how do you not be anymore?
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on January 25, 2006, at 10:32:22
In reply to Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 9:55:44
Dunno, I'm still waiting to hear back from the 'community mental health team' for a referral to a pdoc, that was over two months ago now......I've given up! I can't afford to see a pdoc either, so well, I guess I'd better hang in here.....
Its all very frustrating, isn't it? And I bet you know more about the meds than the pdocs themselves!!
Actually, i bet it is less than 10 minutes for your average GP to dish out an SSRI to your average patient. And they don't tell you anything about side effects etc.
Why is mental health care such a shambles?
Incidentally, do you know how many people a year commit suicide in the UK? I got a reminder from the health centre saying I have to go for a cervical smear. In the leaflet it explains that a 1000 lives a saved a year from having smear tests. I wonder how many more lives could be saved if we had decent mental health care? Hmmmm........ sorry, I'm 'venting'!Kind regards
Meri
Posted by picklehead on January 25, 2006, at 10:53:22
In reply to Re: Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by Meri-Tuuli on January 25, 2006, at 10:32:22
No kidding! I just started a new thread saying that I'm probably going to have to go into a treatment center for a few months... all this based upon a 15 minute chat with a pdoc that doesn't hardly know squat about me!!! I can't stand it!!!
Frankly, I think a qualification to become a pdoc must be to have suffered with some sort of mental illness at some point in your life!
~ Jane
Posted by bprandy on January 25, 2006, at 10:59:37
In reply to Re: Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by picklehead on January 25, 2006, at 10:53:22
I guess I have been lucky. Usually my Pdoc's have been giving me more time then I pay for. I think though as a general rule they are as time and Managed care pressured as the rest of us.
Posted by TylerJ on January 25, 2006, at 11:07:37
In reply to Re: Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by picklehead on January 25, 2006, at 10:53:22
I hear you...it's very frustrating! I usually get 7-10 minutes, but he still gets paid for a full 15 mins. It always seems like he's in a hurry. On the flip side I do like my pdoc, and I do believe he really cares. Like they say, "time is money." :(
best wishes, TylerJ
Posted by Racer on January 25, 2006, at 12:02:04
In reply to Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 9:55:44
But I've heard in other areas they use tea leaves...
Actually, I'm fiercely anti-pdoc right now, in part because the new one I'm seeing tried to therapize me last time. And so I left feeling MUCH worse. I tried telling her the outline of what was going on in my life, and she tried to tell me how to fix it. "No, I just want you to know what's relevant to prescribing drugs for me."
Not only that, but two weeks after starting me on Buspar, she was telling me that, well, since it wasn't obviously fixing what was going on for me, I should stop it! Ugh.
Anyway, I do prefer therapy with my T and meds from the pdoc, but mostly because I've finally found a T who works well for me, and still can't find a pdoc I can stand...
Posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 12:44:07
In reply to Re: Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk » ed_uk, posted by shasling on January 25, 2006, at 10:13:19
>They start with their favorite. Then they guess...
Sounds about right. Usually something new which comes in a shiny box ;-)
Ed
Posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 12:47:55
In reply to Re: Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by Meri-Tuuli on January 25, 2006, at 10:32:22
Hi Meri
http://www.samaritans.org/know/suicide_stats.shtm#
>Dunno, I'm still waiting to hear back from the 'community mental health team' for a referral to a pdoc, that was over two months ago now......
:(
Eddy x
Posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 12:49:01
In reply to Re: Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by picklehead on January 25, 2006, at 10:53:22
>No kidding! I just started a new thread saying that I'm probably going to have to go into a treatment center for a few months... all this based upon a 15 minute chat with a pdoc that doesn't hardly know squat about me!!! I can't stand it!!!
A lot of assumptions can be made in 15 minutes!
Ed
Posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 12:50:40
In reply to Re: Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by bprandy on January 25, 2006, at 10:59:37
>I guess I have been lucky. Usually my Pdoc's have been giving me more time then I pay for. I think though as a general rule they are as time and Managed care pressured as the rest of us.
I've seen one good pdoc, years ago when I was a young teenager. She spend a long time with me.
Ed
Posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 12:52:11
In reply to Re: Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by TylerJ on January 25, 2006, at 11:07:37
> I usually get 7-10 minutes, but he still gets paid for a full 15 mins.
That doesn't seem right. He doesn't sound too bad though.
Ed
Posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 12:54:12
In reply to Around here, they use sheep entrails » ed_uk, posted by Racer on January 25, 2006, at 12:02:04
Hi Racie
Bad therapy can be worse than no therapy at all.
I hope Buspar starts to work.
Ed xx
Posted by shasling on January 25, 2006, at 14:09:20
In reply to Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 9:55:44
I wasn't looking for this, just opened my home page MSNBC and there it was.
By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post
Updated: 5:09 a.m. ET Jan. 25, 2006
Declaring that the pervasive influence of drug industry money is distorting doctors' treatment decisions and scientific findings, a prestigious panel of medical experts called on their colleagues yesterday to adopt far-reaching new conflict-of-interest policies.
In an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the group said that voluntary efforts to limit corporate inducements have failed, resulting in the overprescribing of some medications and the withholding of negative discoveries about others. Highly publicized cases involving the anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx, antidepressants for children and spinal implants made by Medtronic -- all occurring while voluntary guidelines were in place -- highlight the need for stricter measures, they said......Spokesmen for the pharmaceutical industry said the extra steps are unnecessary and could deprive physicians of valuable information...
...'The problem has gotten worse and worse'
From their first rounds as residents, doctors travel in a world increasingly dominated by drug company salespeople proffering meals, office supplies, entertainment and even cash to speak at conferences or sit on advisory boards.
Some physicians have been paid lucrative consulting retainers for no specific work; others are paid to put their names on articles ghostwritten by industry employees. One congressional inquiry cited in the report found that pharmaceutical executives steer research grants to doctors and schools that promote their firms' drugs."The problem has gotten worse and worse and worse," Cohen said. The relationships can prompt doctors to order unnecessary tests, prescribe more expensive medicines or advocate adding certain medications to a hospital's list of preferred drugs, he said.
Although most doctors say their relationships with drugmakers do not affect medical decisions, numerous studies suggest otherwise.
"There is solid evidence it isn't the size of the gift, it's the gifting itself that creates a sense of loyalty and indebtedness," said Sharon Levine, associate executive director of Kaiser Permanente's Northern California group practice. The 6,000-doctor practice and the Yale University School of Medicine are among the only institutions in the nation to implement policies similar to those outlined in JAMA.
"The industry is spending $13 billion per year on direct-to-physician promotion," she continued. "That wouldn't be happening if it weren't resulting in changing patterns of utilization. It doesn't necessarily mean patients are getting bad care, but it does mean their influence is out there."
We are perhaps not paranoid or cynical.Suzie
Posted by john berk on January 25, 2006, at 14:18:12
In reply to Re: Around here, they use sheep entrails » Racer, posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 12:54:12
Hi Ed,
i second that, bad therapy will do much more damage than none, i just got back from my 15 minutes of {fame?]with my pdoc, she told me she cannot see me anymore unless i use a therapist in her network, lol, i think i may spend extra time on the alternative board these days.
i asked her about campral, and she said "why give yourself more side-effects", translated,- "i haven't the foggiest", lol!!
take care...john
Posted by willyee on January 25, 2006, at 14:25:11
In reply to Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 9:55:44
I agree sooo much,also personaly i feel like when in some cases they DO address an issue they huff and puf and act as if they are doing u a favor,BUT let tha bill go unpaid and well,you know
Posted by willyee on January 25, 2006, at 14:32:04
In reply to Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 9:55:44
Oh and then,were told NOT TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT OUR P-DOC INVOVLED,so i guess were complete iddiots,either that are they are scare we might actualy learn more info is out there than the PDR .
I do like my p-doc but i refuse to be at her mercy for something as serious as my mind,im fighting for my life here and having a 10 min med talk is simply not enough when they so many other resources,this one being one of the best,available to me.
Many time i qouted facts from this board to my p-doc on new meds etc,and she looked at as clueless
as child being asked the meaning of life.
Posted by john berk on January 25, 2006, at 14:34:52
In reply to Re: Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by willyee on January 25, 2006, at 14:25:11
Hey, right on willyee,
today was the first time my pdoc smiled, she has pissed me off so many times when i inquire about new meds, she tells me i should stay off the computer, lol!! they really do act as though they are doing you a favor, it was no problem though for her to raise my fee today by $50.00.
i guess my health is entirely her business, in more ways than one!! take care..john
Posted by linkadge on January 25, 2006, at 14:53:53
In reply to Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 9:55:44
My doc had an initial 1/2 appontment, and the subsequent, 3 minaute 35 second appointments, therafter.
Linkadge
Posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 15:00:27
In reply to Re: Around here, they use sheep entrails » ed_uk, posted by john berk on January 25, 2006, at 14:18:12
Hi John
Campral can be helpful to maintain abstinence. Are you interested in trying it?
Ed
Posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 15:03:33
In reply to Re: Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by willyee on January 25, 2006, at 14:32:04
Hi Willy
>NOT TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT OUR P-DOC INVOVLED
The last pdoc I saw treated me like an idiot. I didn't see him again. I didn't appreciate being treated like a naughty school boy!
Ed
Posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 15:05:23
In reply to Re: Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk, posted by linkadge on January 25, 2006, at 14:53:53
Hi Link :)
>3 minaute 35 second appointments
I assume he was knowledgeable about your progress after such appointments?
Ed
Posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 15:09:34
In reply to Re: Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk » willyee, posted by john berk on January 25, 2006, at 14:34:52
Hi :)
>she tells me i should stay off the computer
Ironically, many pdocs could learn a lot on the computer. You can learn a lot here. Go Dr. Bob!
Ed
Posted by shasling on January 25, 2006, at 15:12:30
In reply to Re: Psychiatrists who don't have time to talk » john berk, posted by ed_uk on January 25, 2006, at 15:09:34
They should all be required to spend an hour here a week. Not only learn of meds, but just maybe learn to understand and appreciate the true depth our experiences. Cause they certainly don't get it now.
Go forward in thread:
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.