In this age of specialists and superspecialists, it is common for a patient to be seen by more than one doctor. Unfortunately, many a time it so happens that the patient hides vital information from one doctor thinking that this particular doctor will be unhappy to know that he had visited another doctor earlier, although of a different speciality.This leads to double prescriptions, wrong treatment and misunderstandings. How can we prevent this? First we must ask every patient the important history of previous treatment.
We must make the patient realize that it is for his own good that he reveals all, because he would be subjected to unnecessary tests and given unneeded drugs. Secondly we must learn to communicate with each other more openly. I find that doctors of the new generation are poor communicators. Although modern technology has multiplied the methods of communication by…
