The Doctor’s Pain Points

  November 5, 2022 What’s THE POINT?!  It seems straightforward and blunt but that’s the question that I think when I am interacting with my patients. What does the patient wish to accomplish under my care? What are the goals for that particular doctor-patient interaction and what are the patient’s larger goals? How is the pain in the back, or neck, or knee, of head affecting the patient’s chances of reaching her/her goals? The whole point of what I do is to somehow formulate a plan and execute said plan with the patient’s feedback throughout the process. The plan is based on so many factors but at the foundation of that plan is an understanding of what we are trying to accomplish.  Taking pain from being an all-controlling force and shifting it to being a simple nuisance or non-existent is the ultimate win. But that is not always possible, nor is it always needed. If the knee pain is interfering with being able to walk more than 1 block to get the mail, we may be able...

 JULY 9, 2022      Imagine if someone that you never met told you that you had to wait to move into your house that you bought through a licensed realtor. Or suppose you could not drive your beautiful new car that was sold to you until some random person looked things over but not until 3 to 4 weeks after the sale. It just seems crazy, right?! Well, that’s how many of the tests and procedures are handled within pain management. As a doctor, I perform a thorough history and examination and document my reasons for ordering a test or interventional injection procedure. However, the patient’s insurance company is often giving the yes-or-no response before anything is done. Worse than a delay is the often confusing and vague reasons for denial.      This is unfortunately all too common in medicine as a whole and pain management in particular. There is medical evidence that serves as guidelines for treatment but often the decision-making control is wrestled...

I t is important for doctors to remember the reason that we have customers… Patients are the customers that seek out our services because of an ailment or physiological need and our job is to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of their condition. It is truly an honor to serve in this role. However, it is quite challenging! From time constraints to cumbersome electronic systems to declining reimbursement and increased oversight and liability, it is easy for the doctor to lose track of the ultimate reason that he/she has a job.  I, too, have felt the burden of the bureaucracy and external pressures that are ever-present. When that happens, I try my best to tune in to the most pressing issue before me: serving my patient and understanding his/her needs. I am a pain management specialist and as such I deal with physical (and emotional) hurt all the time. The weight of my patient’s needs is heavy for sure. But I smile because I bring a little light into the sometimes dark world that my ...