Monday, August 24, 2015

"i'm only human!"

Right, left and center, the biggest PATHETIC EXCUSE out there has got to be "I'm only human!  I make mistakes!  Haven't YOU ever made a mistake?"

The big problem, of course, is that the only people I'VE ever heard using this line are always falling back on it when their attempts to bully or assault from a "higher moral plane" didn't work.  Their dumb-ass bleats being stood-up-to with courage and/or logic, they ALWAYS excuse themselves with the "human and fallible" defense.  Do you suppose they'd "forgive those who trespass against" them, if their adversaries used it?  HAhahahahaha.....

The "I'm only human" excuse actually reminds me of the CICO argument -- superficially true but a million miles from being significant.  They're weasel-words, designed to gain our acquiescence without getting us anywhere.  YOU are human?  Technically.  "You" are trying to create a bond where one does not exist -- you're trying to say that you and I are on the same team, just long enough to wriggle out of the underdog-position you find yourself in.  The quarter you would NEVER grant to an adversary, you try to claim from me, because i'm a human being, and "you're only human" too.

NO.  Just NO.

An email from Robb Wolf's kingdom talks about how, oh sure, there ARE lousy medical practitioners out there, but they're maybe like FIVE PERCENT of the total.  And ya know, doctors are like ONLY HUMAN.  A quote:

Today’s Medical Nightmare: A Day in the Life of a Practitioner

Imagine you’re an M.D. in modern medicine. Showing up to work, you know you have a fully-packed day. Every minute is scheduled, from the moment you walk into your office or hospital. Your staff is stressed and the paperwork from yesterday still isn’t done.
You’ll be lucky to have a lunch break today.
The patients start arriving in pain, sick, and upset. Most expect you to “save” them in the 15 minutes allotted to each appointment time. The responsible ones expect you to stay longer than 15 minutes and talk about every possible option.
Almost all of them have no desire to spend more money than what their insurance company covers and the company says 15 minutes is what you get.
The appointment starts…
Right away, you must try to defuse strong emotions that accompany their pain. You quickly scan their health history, listen to symptoms, and do some physical checks.
Now, you have 5-7 minutes left.
The patient is staring back at you waiting for a miracle. Your gut tells you, you need more time.  You need to tell them all kinds of things…
But the medical insurance industry, laws, and malpractice insurance dictates what your next move is… so you push those thoughts deep inside and lock them away.
Instead, you write a prescription or order further testing and tell them to come back in a week.
There are 2 minutes left, so you quickly skirt their questions because you know you are already behind for your next appointment. You have to go, to be fair to the next sick person.
So you walk out, even though the look on their eyes is saying “Wait, but can’t I get more help?”
You now have 30 seconds to reset your mind and prepare to tackle another case. And you know deep down, if you miss something critical someone might get very sick, even die… and you could be faced with a lawsuit at any moment. 

Oh, the POOR THING!  Having set himself up to do this job, he resents it that the patient actually expects HELP!  Expects to be HEALED!  And they're EMOTIONAL!  WHAT A NIGHTMARE!

Excuse me a moment while I go throw up.

The medical nightmare is what medical laissez-faire made it.  The AMA -- YOUR professional association -- is responsible for this mess, not your patients.  Dig your own way out with your colleagues who also helped create your "nightmare" ... and don't expect the sympathy of the people you KNOW you're not giving quality in exchange for their money.

8 comments:

  1. For doctors in private practice, it's their own fault if they overbook or won't work anything other than bankers' hours or won't hire adequate admin help to deal with paperwork.

    And patients being emotional and expecting a miracle? I've spent a lot of time in the emergency room at Swedish Hospital over the past year with my parents. For such a busy place, it's remarkably dull.

    Most of the doctors I've seen have been pretty good, except for gastroenterologists. They were pretty much able to do what they needed to do in 15 minutes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :-D i read things like that newsletter and i can't resist a good rant....

      it makes me flash back to one of those PBS kiddies' shows in the '70s, in which a big strong jock is squealing and whining because he hurt himself, and the whole cast starts singing "Everyone's Got Pain!" Theoretically, the character learns that he's not the only one in the world with problems ... but now it's shocking that actual grown-ups have to be reminded of the same thing. That poor article-writer! He might not even find time for lunch! grrrr....

      It constantly amazes me that professions are so unwilling to police themselves. They don't want to offend the other guys at the country club? They're afraid that if their dirty laundry is displayed, the general public will cease to treat them like demigods? If only they knew that their garbage, rotting quietly out of sight, is NO SECRET to those of the outside world who have functioning noses.

      Delete
  2. But of course there will be time for scorn and admonishment if the patient dares try to help themselves and research their condition.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oh, brother, isn't THAT the truth! "don't change your diet or start an exercise program without consulting your doctor"....

      Delete
    2. Unless you're going to become a vegetarian. But a FODMAPS diet? You need years of medical training to avoid certain foods and then start eating them again.

      Delete
    3. yeah, veganism gets the seal of approval, but you MUST NOT stop eating gluten unless you have verifiable celiac disease....

      Delete
  3. Hi Tess

    Chill out it's all a game, just follow the money. You see there is no money in healthy people and no money in dead people, the money is in keeping people sick, but alive, sort of.

    Kind regards Eddie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some people STILL really do go into medicine to help others, but turds like the one who wrote that article obviously only care about maximizing their case-loads.... I bet he's on an incentive program from his favorite statin-manufacturer too.

      Delete