I need blood works.
Why??
I just had them done at xxxx and I want it rechecked. They said it was normal…..
An all too common interaction.
There is a common misconception that all the answers are in the blood work. I wish it were that easy. If it were just a matter of ordering bloods to have all the answers, my life would rule.
Sadly, no……
In reality, most blood work that is done is……. pointless! Shocker, eh??
With a good and clear chat coupled with a good exam, I think that we may discover most of the necessary information right there. In some cases, bloods will be taken just to appease you. There, I said it.
We know you’re expecting it AND that you’ll want a copy of the results to back up that work note? ( “Look, they had to take blood!!!”) Maybe, it adds information for your doctor-shopping quest??
Many people visit us for colds, coughs, headache, a couple episodes of diarrhea / vomiting , and ask for the “life juice” extraction. I’m amazed at how willing people are to get stabbed by surgical steel to give up their blood, for something minor. Maybe they could educate me, as to what they are expecting me to find.
Guys, here’s a “menu”, order away:
From experience I sense there is an expectation by the public when coming to the Emergency Department, which has been drilled into folks from prior experiences (here, overseas, within different facilities in UAE, etc) and from friends / families experiences and their opinions. People tend to feel “ripped-off” when we don’t order test, as if it suggests that their complaints are not being taken seriously.
If you come to our shop looking great, it’s really likely that those bloods won’t tell us anything useful. But it will result in us staring at each other for a long (unnecessary) time.
Great.
I won’t speak for all of my colleagues, so don’t crucify me, if it’s done differently by someone else, somewhere else, but understand, that despite what the “doc in the box” advises ( why doesn’t (s)he do it then?), or what your friends tell you, you don’t always need any blood tests when you come for a visit.
By Dr. DMS
