Good medical care and a trusted primary care physician are vital to the average western family. Many of us turn to our doctors to help us understand our children from infancy and figure out what sort of care to give and adjustments to make. We need to be able to trust and believe in our doctor as an expert, but can that get us into trouble? Are doctors always right or should we learn to be a bit more skeptical, inquisitive and objective?
Now, do not get me wrong, doctors and primary care are important resources for the family. We need our health care and we need to have access to the information and healing procedures that they have to offer. Where I think we can get into trouble is when we take whatever a doctor says without question; without getting a second opinion, and without doing some research on our own to learn all we can about the symptoms, circumstances, and health issues we may be facing. Being a parent can be overwhelming and scary, especially when one of our children gets sick or injured. It is easier to just assume the doctor knows best than to make sure we are questioning and researching in order to get the best and most appropriate care.
The thing to remember is that most doctors expect you to question them; the best ones will encourage you to get a second opinion or refer you to a specialist. The best doctors will tell you when they are outside of their field of expertise or do not know all that they should about something. By entering into partnership with your health care provider and remembering that you, as the parent, are the one who is ultimately in control and ultimately making the decisions, you may start to feel empowered to ask questions, interview care providers, and seek out information and alternative methods when appropriate.
See Also: The HEALTH Blog