Sure, it’s hard to get right, and patient advocacy groups in particular can be wildly off target. By advocacy I mean one-on-one, for someone you actually have a connection to, and limited to issues you can reasonably understand. For some people that will be issues of comfort and other basics, for some it might have a more clinical element. Advocacy can be as simple as checking on an elderly relative to make sure they’re being cared for properly, checking a doctor’s background, or even getting another opinion from another doctor. In extremes it can mean diagnosis on your own, which you then verify with a doctor.
In that last vein, I’ve been in that position. A girlfriend from years ago had a nasty rash on her arm, and a series of dermatologists gave her a series of exams and creams. I did some research and concluded that it was probably an allergic reaction. I talked to her latest dermatologist who agreed it could be that, and I suggested taking s daily allergy pill. It worked.
Sometimes having the time and inclination to do research is more than a busy doctor brings to the table. If you’re skeptical, and understand that cherrypicking symptoms from a list and screaming “oh god it’s a tumor,” is unhelpful, then research is useful.
In that last vein, I’ve been in that position. A girlfriend from years ago had a nasty rash on her arm, and a series of dermatologists gave her a series of exams and creams. I did some research and concluded that it was probably an allergic reaction. I talked to her latest dermatologist who agreed it could be that, and I suggested taking s daily allergy pill. It worked.
Sometimes having the time and inclination to do research is more than a busy doctor brings to the table. If you’re skeptical, and understand that cherrypicking symptoms from a list and screaming “oh god it’s a tumor,” is unhelpful, then research is useful.