[Magdalen] medical terminology

[Grace Cangialosi]

Well, THIS patient wants as few tests and as little medication as possible, and I always ask if the doctor thinks something is really necessary!

I have a situation like that right now with my shoulder. I fell about 8 weeks ago and did something to it. CT showed nothing broken, so my doctor gave me a better anti-inflammatory than I'd been taking and sent me for a month of PT. Said if that didn't work, he might send me for an MRI.
Well, I've gotten some improvement in range and pain level, and my PT gal thinks it's probably a tear in the rotator cuff, but might also be severe tendinitis, so an MRI might be Indicated. If it's just tendinitis, there are some anti-inflammatory patches that should help, but they need a scrip from my doctor. I'm going to see him on Monday, and I'm going to ask if we can try the patches first. If they do the trick, we'll know it isn't a tear, and if they don't, I can continue the therapy for awhile and/or get an MRI later. I'll do whatever I can, short of surgery.
But we really did get along quite well before we had all this fancy, expensive equipment, and my theory is that the reason a lot of MRI's and CT's are done is to pay for the equipment. And too often they're done even though knowing the results won't change the course of treatment.

Working in a hospital does create a bit of cynicism about the practice of medicine, I'm afraid!

G

> On Oct 30, 2014, at 9:23 PM, James Handsfield <jhandsfield at icloud.com> wrote:
> 
> <Laboratory medicine statistician hat = ON>
> 
> In my estimation, approximately 20% or a little more of lab tests are done for patient confidence.  Most conditions are diagnosed by patient presentation, and many of those in the clinical situation have no specific treatment other than time, fluids, and rest.  But patients want their physician to do something, and they can do that with fairly inexpensive lab tests.  So the doc orders the test and the patient goes away satisfied that their doctor did something.
> 
> “The worst form of corruption is acceptance of corruption.”  Herblock
> 
> Jim Handsfield
> jhandsfield at att.net
> 
> 
>> On Oct 30, 2014, at 9:14 PM, ROGER STOKES <roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com> wrote:
>> 
>> That sounds par for the course - using a test inappropriately because those
>> who don't understand think it looks good.
>