Why do doctors not like patients who are proactive about their health care? Can a doctor refuse to see a proactive patient?
by 
debodun
ANSWERS: 4
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In doctors eyes, self-diagnosis and self-medication are not being pro-active. A pro-active patient is one that asks the doctor for help, and then does exactly what he says.
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Doctors don't appreciate patients who believe that without any medical formation, they can make a diagnostic and choose a therapy, and the doctor is only there to prescribe the remedies. No sensible doctor will engage in a therapy without checking for themselves what the problem really is. And sometimes, further analyses could be necessary. However, it will depend on the relation that you have to your doctor, and how you present your ideas. If you do this in an appropriate way, your doctor could also take your suggestions into account, or at least discuss them with you. The most difficult patients in this respect are usually the doctors themselves, but they have some reasons for this behavior!
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Many doctors are very much obedient to Big Pharma, And some are averse to using the internet. The result is that some patients who are willing to do their own online research can be better informed in some areas. Can or would a doctor refuse to see such a patient? I don't think so. The worst doctors are really not that bad.
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It depends what you mean by pro-active. Obviously, doctors like those who do all the advised things - keep weight reasonable, exercise, don't smoke, drink in moderation. But they don't like patients who come in having already decided what the problem is and what the treatments should be. Even if they are correct, the doctor has a requirement to cross-check, to give a qualified second opinion to the patients unqualified judgements. The doctor is professionally required to make up his own mind, not just accept the patients diagnosis and prescription. A patien who says "I know what the problem is - just prescribe" is annoying, even if right - which they may not be.
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