Why Your Doctor Isn't Listening and What You Can Do About It

From Huffington Post: (click for full article)

A common complaint about physicians on the Internet is, "They didn't listen to me." You were sitting in the office and the doctor was physically present in the room, but they weren't all there. Even worse is when the doctor doesn't try to understand what you are going through. Sometimes it can seem like they didn't even care.

Most of us take for granted that we are the center of the doctor's attention when we are face to face in the office. They are supposed to listen, care and empathize with our situation. That's what we pay them for. They are our medical expert and a powerful shoulder to lean on when we are in need.

There are invisible forces present on most office days that can block your doctor's ability to be a caring presence, turning you into the "runny nose in room three" from their perspective. It isn't fair, and most of us would say it's not right... and these forces can explain why your doctor may not have been a very good listener today.