Do Not Seek Any Doctor in Trouble
Seeking any doctor in trouble is a psychology of the patient and family that often becomes self-mistake — small mistake makes the small disease big; large mistake makes the great disease worse. So we counsel: in illness, do not seek any doctor.
Doctor-selection is hard; selecting a good doctor harder still. Apart from the doctor's own qualities, the patient too has much to learn. China has many ancient writings on doctor-selection; in the clinic we see many patient errors. We list them for reference:
1. First — do not panic. Even in acute illness, after calling emergency services, consult as many experienced people as time allows. Good suggestions often come from them.
2. Do not rely on hearsay alone. Without checking a doctor's real skill, trusting advertising or rumor rarely finds the right doctor.
3. Do not let face stop you. Going with a doctor only because an acquaintance introduced him, or because he is conveniently near, may yield irreversible consequences.
4. Do not select by price alone. The well-off should not assume more expensive = better doctor — spending much and delaying right treatment. The poor should not chase cheapness alone — health weighs more than money. Those with public medical-care should not let what is reimbursable override who is the right doctor.
5. Do not delay acute illness. Treat the acute manifestation first; once it eases, then trace the root and adjust. Endless investigation without treatment is dangerous. For chronic illness, do not be hasty — frequent doctor-switching defeats the purpose.
6. Children's illness is usually not deep. Usually three to five days on a suitable prescription should show effect. If not, change the doctor in good time. Elderly patients have complex conditions; the doctor's prescriptions also serve to probe the cause — once a good doctor is found, do not switch hastily; if there is improvement, hold the course.
7. Most feared in illness is to hide it from the doctor. Treat early; treat in good time; prevent the small before it grows. TCM says: the superior physician treats what has not yet become illness — the most economical, easiest health-method.
8. Some patients think a good TCM doctor relies on pulse alone, and at the visit say nothing of the illness — they test the doctor with their own body. In fact, a real TCM doctor combines inspection, listening, asking, palpation. None relies on pulse alone. Those who guess symptoms from pulse alone and so win the patient's trust are often quacks. Do not be misled.
9. Long-failed and critical patients easily lose hope and abandon treatment. A turning often comes from holding on a little longer.
In short — please remember — in illness, do not seek any doctor.