Charles B. Inlander - This Wont Hurt (And Other Lies My Doctor Tells Me): Observations from the Other End of the Stethoscope

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Page iii This Won't Hurt (And Other Lies My Doctor Tells Me) Observations From the Other End of the Stethoscope By Charles B. Inlander President, People's Medical Society People's Medical Society Allentown, Pennsylvania

Page iv The People's Medical Society is a nonprofit consumer health organization dedicated to the principles of better, more responsive and less expensive medical care. Organized in 1983, the People's Medical Society puts previously unavailable medical information into the hands of consumers so that they can make informed decisions about their own health care. Membership in the People's Medical Society is $20 a year and includes a subscription to the People's Medical Society Newsletter. For information, write to the People's Medical Society, 462 Walnut Street, Allentown, PA 18102, or call 610-770-1670. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Inlander, Charles B. This won't hurt (and other lies my doctor tells me) : observations from the other end of the stethoscope / by Charles B. Inlander. p. cm. ISBN 1-882606-39-6 1.Medical care. 2. Consumer education. 3. Patient satisfaction. 4. Medical policy. 5. Medical personnel and patient. I. Title. R727.I54 1998 362.1dc21 98-13883 CIP All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 First printing, June 1998 The information in this book is intended to help the reader make more informed choices regarding health care. It is not a substitute for expert medical advice or treatment. All matters regarding health require medical supervision. Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and People's Medical Society was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in initial capital letters (e.g., Band-Aid). We have tried to use male and female pronouns in an egalitarian manner throughout the book. Any imbalance is in the interest of readability.

Page v CONTENTS Preface vii Acknowledgments xv Part I Angry, Enraged, Furious, Incensed, Infuriated, Irate, Mad, SeethingYou've Gotta Know How I Feel! 1 Part II Be Careful out There! 41 Part III How Can That Be? 95 Part IV The Shape of Things to Come 135 Part V Wouldn't It Be Nice? 181

Page vii PREFACE THIS WON'T HURT! When I was a kid growing up in Chicago, I hated going to the doctor. My pediatrician was a nice enough man. He always seemed kind, and he would always tell me jokes. I didn't mind his office, either. The receptionist was very friendly. There were plenty of magazines for kids lying around. And there were even some toys to tinker with while I waited. But the one thing that really bothered me about him was that he lied. And the worst part about his lying was that he thought he was doing it for my own good. I know he lied to all my friends, as well. When I told them about the lies he told me, they would say he told them the same thing. As a result, I developed a great mistrust of doctors. Of course, the biggest lie he told was when he would say, "This won't hurt, Charles!" and then proceed to give me a painful shot. He joked that he practiced his shots on grapefruitshe even had a hypodermic needle sticking out of a wooden replica of a grapefruit on his desk. But he only chuckled when I reminded him that wooden things had no feelings. Granted, shots are not all that painful, but most kids think they are. And when a doctor tries to ease a child into one by saying it won't hurtand the child knows otherwisewell, it's not hard to figure out why a kid might hate going to the doctor. Over the years, doctors have lied to me repeatedly. Some-

Page viii times, it was about pain. I remember my first rectal exam when the doctor wanted to check my prostate gland. His exact words were, "This may bother you a little, but it won't hurt too much." Frankly, I thought his hand was going to reach my throat, the pain was so severe. Other times, the lies were more subtle and serious. I once had a doctor tell me that he had performed a certain diagnostic test many times, but I later found out that I was the first patient on whom he'd done the procedure. I never used him again. I've received tens of thousands of letters from consumers since we started the People's Medical Society in 1983. And one of the consistent themes is mistrust of doctors. People complain about not being told the truth about their conditions. Consumers scream when they see bills submitted to insurers for services never rendered. They are indignant with medical professionals who ignore living wills and perform unwanted services on dying family members.

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