Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
Dec
30
Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
“You Shouldn’t Google For Infomration…”
“You shouldn’t google for information. You would be much happier if you stopped asking for second opinions that only confuse you.” – OB to mother at the final prenatal before a planned cesarean, when the mother asked about the benefits and risks of medication given to all women who are having a cesarean.
There are 22 comments to this post.
Silly women, always getting confused. When will we learn to just blindly trust our doctors?
To give a shout out to the “thank god they’re not all like that” camp… My favorite doctor ever was the one who always wrapped up an exam by handing me a list of websites and saying, “Since I know you’ll google this as soon as you get home, here’s a good place to start.” And they were always good, evidence-based sites, representing a variety of viewpoints. Loved that guy.
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Carrie Reply:
December 30th, 2012 at 1:07 pm (Quote)
I’m seeing a midwives group in conjunction with their high-risk perinatologist. One of the things I love about the doctor, is that when he called me (note that’s the doc calling, not a random nurse!) with some worrisome lab results, he ASKED me to google treatment options (after explaining it to me in brief while on the phone with me), recommended some websites to start with, and then actually discussed my options with me at my next visit, but let me make the final decision on treatment. I love seeing him, I feel much more empowered about my healthcare with him as my provider.
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Wait, wait, wait — if I’m reading the OP correctly, it went like this?
Woman: I was wondering if you could talk to me about the risks and benefits of the medication you’re going to give me after the C-section.
Doctor: You shouldn’t Google for information. You would be much happier if you stopped asking for second opinions that only confuse you.
Um, but she DIDN’T Google for information. She asked her freaking doctor for information — which means either the doctor should give her the information or the doctor should accept that she’s going to go Google the information up herself.
It’s as if this doctor doesn’t even feel like it’s worth the effort to say “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it” and just jumps straight to the action s/he knows the woman is going to take if the information isn’t provided.
How about we try a new approach? How about you give the woman the information she’s asking for?
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Dreamy Reply:
December 30th, 2012 at 4:18 pm (Quote)
MTE
You have to “Google” for the “information” “ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of your medications?”
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Rebecca Reply:
December 31st, 2012 at 7:47 am (Quote)
Well, how else could she have known there were risks to what he wanted to do? If he didn’t tell her, shouldn’t she have assumed there weren’t any since the doctor will always tell us risks?
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Jense Reply:
December 31st, 2012 at 6:11 pm (Quote)
This one is shocking because one of my submissions detailed how a GYN TOLD me to google my condition to find out more because he didn’t have time to tell me the ins and outs of the disease.
Now this OBGYN tells the patient NOT to google herself information? What? Which is it?
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The Deranged Housewife had this to say,
Dec 30, 2012 @ 1:31 pm (Quote)
Why not? “Dr. Google” often tells you a lot more than your doctor ever will. Now tell me how this is “informed consent” again??
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So, how should I get the information that I want?
And doc, you wouldn’t be so scared about moms getting a second opinion if you were confident that your recommendations were safe and evidence-based, don’t you think?
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Steph in Lex Reply:
December 31st, 2012 at 9:26 am (Quote)
Exactly.
Sounds like what the good doctor is really afraid of is this woman finding something like the ICAN website when she googles for risks and benefits of c-sections and messing up his nicely scheduled week.
I say “his” because I would like to believe that any OB who refuses to give a woman all the information she needs when it comes to her reproductive system must be a male, because a woman would never do that to another woman. I like to live in my fantasy feminist utopia land. If only…
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Mama Wrench had this to say,
Dec 30, 2012 @ 2:09 pm (Quote)
I’ve heard doctors complain that patients Googling for medical information is useless, because Google is a fire hose, and doctors are drinking fountains. Yet this doctor is suggesting that, since the water fountain is broken, Mom should just go without water (or drink flat Sprite, because apparently that’s way better than water, anyway) instead of eyeing the fire hose as a potential source of water.
Fan-damn-tastic.
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Jenny Islander Reply:
December 30th, 2012 at 6:52 pm (Quote)
Yeah, um, doc, if you’re going to be opening my abdominal wall and putting your hands into my vitals, I would like to know the risks. And if your answer is, “Don’t bother your little head about the risks, honey, let Doctor God take care of it all, there there, sweetie pie,” then you will be hearing from me. Loudly.
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No, no, no, you mustn’t google! You might actually learn something or figure out the right questions to ask. You know, the questions I don’t have any answers to that would actually satisfy you. Besides, everyone knows that doctors are Gods! No need to second guess God!
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This one was mine and I’m sorry to say it was a female registrar. I also have to mention that she was the exception to my c-section experience. The nurses, midwives and most doctors were supportive and helpful and went way above my expectations of good care. 
Just the one control freak doc! The same doc ‘forgot’ to write in my patient notes that I couldn’t have a canula for more than 24 hours and when asked said “i knew you’d need it for longer so I didn’t bother. You just have to put up with it.” Luckily the midwife in charge intervened, fought my case, lost and then ‘accidentally’ removed it anyway during the next checkup. She figured it was my body and my right to choose.
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If you can’t answer a simple question, maybe I’m better off sticking with Google!
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