How Not To Choke Your Non-Compliant Patients
SIGH!
Every day I come across non-compliant patients. I’m not talking about the ones who can’t afford their medications, but the ones who just don’t get it. The ones who say that their glucose levels are normal. Strange how that AIC got to be a 13? There’s glucose +2000 in my urine? But I don’t cheat on my diet, I swear! It’s inconvenient to check your glucose levels and take your meds? I’m sorry. How inconvenient will it be when you are hooked up to a dialysis machine three times a week for a few hours at a time?
Strange how your blood pressure shot up to 200/120 when you decided not to take your blood pressure medicine just because it made your sex life a little more difficult. Do you want to be around to even have sex? How about having that “Big One” when you are going at it like a bunny rabbit. How will your wife/girlfriend/partner feel when they have to explain to the paramedics and the coroner that you just keeled over? NICE..
Remember when you had insurance and never went to your provider’s office for a check up? You were reminded to get those preventative tests such as that pesky mammogram and colonoscopy. I know that it meant that your precious boobs would be squished for a few minutes and that you’d have to drink some stuff that made you sit on the toilet for a few hours to clean yourself out. WAAA!!!!
Too busy to take care of yourself?
Too bad. Get it done before you lose your job and join the ranks of the unemployed who lost their insurance policies and then found out that they had some horrible disease, such as cancer, that will wipe out everything their family ever knew.
Too many good people are dying out here for the lack of money to get testing done to find out their problems. So quit complaining to me when I suggest that you get those tests done while you have insurance. Many of my patients would love to have that luxury. Patients often wonder how to pay for their prescriptions and feed their families.
Do yourself a favor and stay healthy. Rant finished.
I really liked this post. Can I copy it to my site? Thank you in advance.
I can’t see what your site is so no for now. I don’t mind being quoted as long as there is a link back to the post on a legit site. Leave a link to your site and I will check it out.
I try not to be non-compliant but sometimes it’s hard to make myself go to the doctor’s or NP’s office when I feel fine. I know that you can have things wrong with you and still be okay seeming.
James, I agree that it’s harder to make yourself go to the doctor or NP’s office when you feel fine. Actually, it’s a pretty good time to go though because you aren’t feeling so poorly that you can’t think straight. Always bring a list of questions too. It can keep each of us on track. Thanks for leaving a real comment. It’s nice not to get so much spam.
[...] seems that NPs Save Lives has been hearing a few excuses lately! Learn How Not To Choke Your Non-Compliant Patients over at [...]
Great post with a very important message!
I work a lot with immigrant communities and I find a huge resistance towards medication compliance because of distrust of western medicine. It’s a huge challenge to get the point across at times.
Tough love. And very needed.
It irks me to no end when there are people who would kill for some health insurance and then the guy with health insurance and glucose out the window doesnt care enough to get it checked out.
Or the overweight patient with crazy eating habits and HTN complains that the docs/nurses aren’t doing their jobs properly or else her BP would be under control.
Great post. I totally agree. When I was in nursing school, I worked at my mom’s office (she’s a family practice doc). At one point, she was so frustrated with a long-time patient she told him that he should “find himself another doctor because [he's] asking [her] to watch [him] die.” That straightened him out really quick! Of course, she doesn’t say that to everyone, but sometimes I think she wishes she could.
Thanks Marjorie! I sometimes wish the censor button could be off for a while but then I would probably be fired.
Laney, I often see patients out at our local big supermarket and see some really bad choices. Don’t we all though? It does irritate me when people complain about having to come in for their checkups when they can do it for almost no copay when others would love to use the insurance.
Maha, I also find our local hispanic population hesitant to come into the office for care due to their fear that I discriminate. I try to get the word out into the community that I am very open minded even to alternative therapies.
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Thanks NP Place! I sometimes wish the censor button could be off for a while but then I would probably be fired.
Great post with a very important message!
I work a lot with immigrant communities and I find a huge resistance towards medication compliance because of distrust of western medicine. It’s a huge challenge to get the point across at times.
Great site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to some friends!