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When a person goes to a medical institution, they expect to be treated equally as others, they expect to be heard and provided a solution. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works all the time and patients get disappointed with their healthcare providers.

The reasons can vary: it could be that the healthcare worker has a personal problem with a patient, maybe they worked 24 hours in a row and just want to be finished with their shift, or they don’t devote themselves to their job as much anymore because they’re burnt out.

There are obviously a lot of issues in the medical field that both patients and healthcare professionals have to deal with. And Twitter user @DrBryanLeyva wanted to know what people feel is the problem that is the worst in their eyes. Bryan asked, “What should we denormalize in healthcare?” and people had so much to say.

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#1

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Jenn Ryan
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It took me until my early 30's to find an OB/GYN who would sterilize me. I have known since I was a kid that I don't want children. I have horrible side affects from birth control, so that wasn't an option. It is absolutely ridiculous.

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Bryan Leyva is a Doctor of Medicine who went to Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and now he is a public health researcher at the University of Minnesota. Bryan focuses his research on “the behavioral and social determinants of health; b) racial and socioeconomic health disparities; c) models, measures, and strategies to improve quality and equity in health care.”

#3

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Nikki Sevven
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Psychosomatic" isn't an insult. It means "(of a physical illness or other condition) caused or aggravated by a mental factor such as internal conflict or stress." Anxiety and depression can cause physical symptoms to worsen, and it's necessary to point that out clinically in order to properly treat a patient.

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He wanted to hear the vox populi and asked “What should we denormalize in healthcare?” which essentially means, what are the biggest problems in the healthcare system that bother people the most.

Both people who were patients and medical professionals joined the conversation and a lot of issues surfaced. Some pointed out that racial and sexual discrimination or applying stereotypes still are existing problems that prevent doctors from giving quality service.

#4

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Robert T
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is no joke. When I was on chemo, they used start it of an evening, and well 4 or 5 bags of fluid has to go somewhere, so I was up all night peeing. You can therefore imagine my delight when someone comes round offering you breakfast at 7.30 in the morning! I won't complain too much though, as I owe my life to them and the care they gave me.

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Vicky Z
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exactly!!! When a 15 year old is telling you while crying that her quality of life is so bad that she prefers to get rid of everything inside her or to die you don't f*****g tell her that it's normal and you better get used to it cause it's going to be like that for the next 30-40 years!!! (Real dialogue with my first ob!)

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J Rob
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was at university and broke my pinky finger during the night. I went to Student health first thing in the morning when they opened. They put me in an exam room to wait for next available. I sat in the room for four hours. I thought things were getting very quite. I walked down hallway and everyone had gone to lunch except one attendant at the front desk. He asked me what I was doing! Not a happy day.

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Vicky Z
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What's interesting is that noone is asking a pregnant woman if she is sure she wants to keep it cause she might regret it later! It's very possible that there is regret in both situations!

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Others were pointing to the absurd amounts of money they have to pay in order to get the help they need. There were a quite significant number of people who thought that doctors will not believe how much pain patients, especially women, are in.

Miscommunication was also brought up as doctors will not try to explain conditions and illnesses to their patients in a language they would understand.

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Robert T
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is sadly one of the drawbacks of the NHS. The healthcare might be free, but it often involves a fair bit of waiting around, meaning more time off work, and if you have driven the to the hospital it can also mean increased parking charges if they are running late. I think we need to start an awareness campaign with fake invoices "if this had been America, this is what you would'be been charged". People might appreciate them more.

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Medical professionals themselves were mentioning burnout and long shifts as well as disrespect among colleagues. So both sides see problems that need to be fixed and every issue that has been mentioned has to be dealt with individually as there is no one solution that would fit all challenges, so maybe that is why it is so difficult to change the situation. 

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Caro Caro
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mum was discharged from hospital with meds and wound care supplies. A specialist comes every other day to take care of her wound.

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Zozo🤟
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I got really tired of being called a healthy young woman until I realized that they were saying that I wasn’t fat or underweight.

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Vicky Z
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or normal because you are a woman and you are supposed to feel like s**t all the time

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Medical professionals are a crucial part of our society as they contain the knowledge of how to heal and survive when you are literally in the process of stepping into a coffin. But if they can't provide the care people need, it is really concerning and admitting that there are problems is already progress towards finding a solution.

So what would you answer to Bryan’s question? Let us know in the comments and also show us what tweets you agree with the most by upvoting them!

#15

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Jo Johannsen
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When you can hear the nursing staff making jokes about you from outside your room in the emergency department. Guys, I am fat, not stupid and deaf.

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Robert T
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Stop pussy footing around. Make healthcase a universal right which is free to everyone.

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Lauren Caswell
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ding ding Ding! Anxiety disorder, female, told my crippling pain must be stomach bug, twice turned away from hospital. Third time I went back i was really bad, and it caused a huge amount of surgeries that may have been avoided. I mean jeez if I'm saying it's only one notch below childbirth, pls listen. Anxious doesn't always mean wrong.

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Marie
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a person with several conditions that CAUSE weight gain as a side effect, I'm still classified as obese even as I know that if I wasn't watching every carb (dibeties 2) every cup of water or how much iron I eat(PCOS)(anemia) , or keep up with daily walks (arthritis), I could easily be 300lbs. So being 40lb overweight is NOT the issue.

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Rissie
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Weight gain and diet are a vicious cycle. By dieting you experience hunger symptoms, making your body adjust to take it slower. Also your mind is constantly fighting those hormones and signals. And then you start to eat again, with a stomach used to expanding a little too far and a body that has put itself in a preservation state. And you gain weight, start dieting, experience all the same symptoms etc. To people who never had to deal with it, it's hard to imagine it's not just not eating and exercising a little more. You have to prevent your body from going into starvation mode, while not eating to much and firing up the little engine by exercising more. Which in itself is demoralizing and physically harder when you're overweight. So yeah, how's about you help in stead of judge.

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Julie C Rose
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, you have to be so careful to balance it so you’re not triggering the starvation response. I paid out of pocket for a dietitian and the first session in particular is expensive.

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Kaitlyn Nagy
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is what killed my nana. They told her to lose weight when she actually had pancreatic cancer. That's how America treats minority patients on Medicare. I'll never forgive our Healthcare system for it.

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Scarlett
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Starvation diets are incredibly harmful. I went on one because I thought I needed to lose a little weight (because my doctor’s an @$$hole and said I was overweight at 5’8 and 118 pounds). The starvation diet rapidly turned into anorexia. It’s toxic and it will mess with your head, and the possibility of developing an eating disorder of any kind is quite high.

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Calypso poet
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow! I'm 5' 8" and when I was 130 pounds I was soo skinny. In my wedding pictures I'm 165 pounds and while bigger than I wanted I looked and felt amazing! My boobs grew to a full C cup from a small B and I don't mean fat. I was working out and have always had a big butt so they finally caught up. I starved myself and exercised so much in my teens and 20's my body was a wreck I guess. I was very shocked to hear about fasting diets being promoted by a couple women on The View. The thin one Sarah especially.

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Marika Miettinen
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Last autumn a doctor told me to lose weight. Yeah, I don't like being overweight, and I'm trying to be healthier and go out for walks and stuff, and at that point I was trying harder than normally again and I told him what I was doing, and he just told me that I'm not doing enough and I should try harder. After that I felt so bad that I didn't go out for a walk for weeks.

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Calypso poet
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm sorry he made you feel that way. I hope you have tried to find a new Dr., one who will actually listen to what's going on. I need to lose weight, I gained a lot in the 2 years of foot surgeries and a short term thyroid issue (thanks dad and grandma for being tall but no thanks with the thyroid drama). My Dr has been very supportive because not being able to walk or work was depressing. Then my mom got hospitalized, then my dad. I had actually lost a good amount right before the pandemic. As long as my blood results are good, no diabetes, good cholesterol levels and my blood pressure is good she doesn't pressure me. I find too many reasons already not to go for a walk, I don't need my Dr making me feel worse.

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Carol Emory
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or they want to send you to a dietician/nutritionist. I don't need someone to tell me what foods I should be eating and what I shouldn't be eating. I already know. I want someone to tell me why I binge eat at night. Why I crave certain foods all the time. Why I always gravitate towards the unhealthy foods instead of eating the healthy ones. You can teach a child all the math in the world. If you don't teach them how to apply it to real world situations, what use is it? I especially ditched one dietician when she said 1) That I needed to cut all white foods out of my diet [Yeah..like that's not outdated information] and 2) that, as a diabetic, I needed to cut all citrus out of my diet. When I asked why all citrus, she said proudly "Well what do they give diabetic patients when their blood sugar crashes?" I said "yeah..Orange Juice. First, orange juice usually contains 2-3 oranges per 8oz glass plus added sugar. Second, not all citrus fruits are the same." I walked out.

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Riley Quinn
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know several overweight/obese people who are in better health than "normal" size people because they are physically active. BTW, when was the last time any of y'alls PCP discussed your diet and methods of improvement? Don't just tell me to eat better. Explain yourself.

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Jackie Porter
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm on several medications which are known to cause weight gain. I am obese and I have pain in my joints. I had pain in my joints before I gained the weight. I'm told to lose weight to relieve my pain.

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Assistant to DJ
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

20yrs docs harped at me to lose weight despite exercise, dieting, even starvation. They refused to check me for anything. 20yrs later a doc does a simple blood test, "Oh, your thyroid is broke, that's why you're overweight". When I was 13 my grandmother took me to the doctor and specifically requested he check my thyroid because i wouldn't lose weight, he actively REFUSED to do it. 20yrs of being fat and freezing my butt off despite the temperature, could've been fixed if a doctor hadn't been so damn arrogant and lazy.

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Jo Choto
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Any doctor who recommends you lose weight by "eating better and getting some exercise" is not qualified to give advice on the subject. The fact is, if it were that easy, nobody would be overweight. Weight has a combination of physical and psychological influences and people with weight problems won't achieve change without investment into both areas.

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Nikki Sevven
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The CDC on the negative physical and mental health outcomes of obesity: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html. "People who have obesity, compared to those with a healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including the following: All-causes of death (mortality), High blood pressure (hypertension), High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (Dyslipidemia), Type 2 diabetes, Coronary heart disease, Stroke, Gallbladder disease, Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint), Sleep apnea and breathing problems, Many types of cancers, Low quality of life, Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders, Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning." Having an anti-science viewpoint on obesity doesn't improve any of these.

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BluEyedSeoulite
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It seems like you are missing the point though. Yes, science shows that being overweight isn't good for you medically. No one is arguing against that. It is that many docs won't even look into what is ailing you if you are overweight. Everything is blamed on weight without a work up. For instance, suddenly starting to sweat a lot and having episodes of a racing heart rate? Lose weight. No blood work done to see if it isn't weight related.

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Tres D
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2 years ago

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Weight contributes to many many of peopkes health problems! Tgere is absolutely nothing wrong for your doctor to want you to lose weight! We need to stop normalizing being overweight!

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Joanna
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

YES! I'm always wary of a workplace that encourages self-care - they're basically setting themselves up to blame you when they work you to death.

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Pille P
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or especially due to corona not letting the parents accompany a baby to hospital. Or the opposite, not letting a breastfed baby accompany mom to hospital and telling moms to stop breastfeeding.

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Kookamunga
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, I believe it depends on what kind of doctor you are there to see and what your medical issue is. I was told at the Ophthalmologist to put my clothes back on. The mammogram lady said I could've kept my pants on. It's very confusing.

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BluEyedSeoulite
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Over specialization is an issue for us in Korea. It seems like each specialist only knows about their specialty and nothing about general health or anything related to their field. My husband has bad allergies and weird sinus structure. Not one sinus doctor has offered allergy meds, they just want to do surgery. Finally saw an allergist, still no meds but wants to do expensive immunotherapy to "cure" his moderate allergies for the low cost of $800/year AND getting rid of our pets. Seems like a daily pill would be a lot cheaper...

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Kookamunga
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Gina seems misinformed. Kidneys? Nephrology. Brain issues? Neurology. Cancer? Oncology, etc. There's not exactly a Geriatric One-Stop-Shopping Center for specialists. It would be great if there was, though.

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Robert T
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Clinical language is used because it is unambiguous, but it really doesn't help the patient. Good doctors will take the time to explain things to the patient (I appreciate that they may not always have time for this).

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Riley Quinn
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This attitude probably has its roots in some toxic masculinity initiation thing. Rarely do I hear women bragging about their burnout schedule, but it's bragging rights for some men. Very dangerous bragging rights.

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White Paper Tsuru
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My hospital calls it "failure to thrive". I like that better. Means, might be surviving, but quality of life could be improved if we can find the source of what's slowing you down/troubling you. And maybe we can help you be more you with some supports.

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Vicky Z
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't get what he means.... the term is quite specific in med books and it's a phrase that is used a lot when you are studying the patient's everyday life! Does he mean they use it wrong?

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