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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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Image credits: DrBryanLeyva

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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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#5

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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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#6

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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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#7

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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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#11

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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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#13

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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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#17

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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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#18

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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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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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#22

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

Speaking as a nurse, often, i don't need an extensive explanation from a patient, i just need to see what the issue is, as a lot of the time, a description of an injury or wound is subjective. It just makes the examination longer to wait for them to finish talking, at the end of which I'm still often none the wiser. I prefer them to get the wound (or whatever it is) out, and let me look and prod it while they're describing what happened. That way i can ask appropriate questions at the same time. As for general conversation, we do that to try and put you at ease as we're well aware that having a stranger staring at and touching your naked body is very intrusive.

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

Is this an American thing again? I've never had to undress before conversation (Norway).

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

Not all over the U.S. I've never experienced it. It could be dependent on which clinic, doctor, or hospital. It seems weird.

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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

If it's in a doctors office I agree. If it's in the ER then pop it off, that doctor has so many people to see and if you think they can keep 30 patients straight in their head if they jump back and forth between patients to accommodate history gathering and assessment, you have more faith in humans than I do.

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Laurie F. Daut
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Once went to Dr. afraid something going on with my breast. Did not remember that several years earlier I had seen him about something else and it hadn't gone well. Anyway, I was undressed, draped, he did a breast exam then stood back and calmly told me that he refused to take me as a patient. I was horrified and humiliated

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TheAnimalLady
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds like a possible sexual harassment claim in the making, Laurie. Not your fault, he's the as.shole!!! I had my daughter's pediatrician "throw her under the bus" when she'd possibly broken her arm because he was mad our insurance had us change doctors (away from him, years before) before he was demoted to the urgent care (where we ran into him when it happened.) Talk about holding a grudge 🙄😒 she was only 11yrs old 🤬😤🤬

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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 tend to get naked for every exam, whether it's a pap smear or eye exam. Just makes things easier.

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

The nurse comes in at my OB/Gyn and takes my info. Then she has me get undressed from the bottom down before the dr comes in. We chat, the exam starts, the conversation continues. Depending on what I'm wearing she can just pull up my shirt for the breast exam. The ER puts you in a gown ASAP so if they need to put in IVs, do an EKG or an emergency procedure you are already prepped.depending on where your ailments are you might keep on your pants. That's why I always change into yoga pants, and boy short underwear before I visit the Er.

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

This has to me the dumbest one. Who cares!? You're covered up!

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

I had an appointment for what might have been surgery but ended up being a conversation. 4 hours waiting, disrobing and gowning up, into a procedure room just to have a conversation that could have happened on the phone in 5 mins.

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

I was actually forced to change my top during a super basic physical just for a blood draw. I was pregnant, refusing to do a chest xray and they still demanded I put on their damn top, a 3/4 sleeve t-shirt... Just to draw my blood. Why? Just why?

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

I corrected this wrong, my top was a 3/4 sleeve t-shirt. Theirs was a robe style top. Waste of time

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Laura1985
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The US seriously is one of the strangest places on the planet. In Germany, I can get a full colonoscopy and only undress my bottom half.

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

What you guys do in the privacy of the parks at night is none of my business.

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#23

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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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#24

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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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