Signs Your Doctor Is Not Being Attentive

With the rise of the Internet and the popularity of smartphones, there is no shortage of distractions fighting for attention at any given time. Unfortunately, doctors are not immune to distractions, and this can cause serious problems for their patients. Doctors need to ensure the time they spend with patients is being spent without distractions.

Understanding Doctor Distractions

There are a variety of things that can distract a doctor during a patient visit. One of the largest distractions for doctors is electronic health records. A Northwestern University study found doctors spent 33% of their time with a patient looking at the electronic records rather than the patient. The study also revealed looking at the records and not the patients made physicians significantly more likely to miss nonverbal clues and cause a misdiagnosis.

Although it is a doctor’s responsibility to provide the utmost care and be attentive to patients, patients can help protect themselves from the harmful effects of distractions by looking for signs their doctor is not being attentive.

Signs A Doctor Is Not Being Attentive Can Include:

• Your doctor does not make much eye contact
• You feel you are being rushed
• Your doctor does not explain things or answer questions well
• You don’t feel your doctor is listening to your concerns
• Your doctor interrupts you
• Your doctor is condescending

Doctors are expected to provide a certain standard of care to their patients, and this requires them to be attentive to their patients’ needs. Failing to do so can lead to misdiagnosis or a failure to diagnose causing serious and life threatening health problems for the patient. If patients feel their doctor is not attentive to their needs, they she seek a second opinion from another doctor.

Lopez McHugh: Misdiagnosis Attorneys For Philadelphia Families

Patients rely on doctors immensely to help get better and stay healthy. So when a doctor is inattentive and misdiagnoses a patient, the injured party deserves to seek compensation. The experienced Philadelphia misdiagnosis attorneys at Lopez McHugh LLP have helped many victims receive compensation for their injuries. Call us for a free consultation.