Patient Burnout Among Kids

By Michael Tetreault and Karleigh Tetreault, Concierge Medicine Today

I’m of the personal persuasion that the Doctor’s speaking into my family’s lives have great power.

‘Five words from my Doctor, mean more than 50 words about them.’

As a parent, a father and someone who works with and talks to Physicians every day about their job satisfaction, ways to improve healthcare delivery models, gratitude in serving Patients, I can tell you first-hand that their job is incredibly demanding. It’s often why many Physicians question their own kids decisions to become primary care and family medicine doctors. They’ll say things like “Are you sure? It’s really difficult.”

I don’t envy Monday morning FOR Doctors. Nor, do I want to feel the depression that sinks in Sunday afternoon and finally lands square on your shoulders on Sunday night as you mentally and physically prepare to enter the arena or in some cases, the penalty box on Monday morning.

Every Physician I know works tirelessly and selflessly each day to serve his/her Patients and community at an unrelenting, demanding and unending pace.

I find it sad myself that very few medical journals, published articles or even medical societies, blogs and medical conferences look at exactly what it’s like to sit on the other side of the exam room.

I was so happy today for example, to chat with a Doctor from Ontario, Canada just a few moments ago who said ‘Would be good to get patients answer this particular question. Real customers are patients in a healthcare system.’

As a parent, a father, a Patient, I’m grateful for small interactions and words from Doctors that want and need a Patient perspective.

We do feel all alone out there. Now, imagine being a kid?

To be an adult Patient today is intimidating.

Can you imagine being a kid? What are they thinking when we walk them into the emergency room or down the hallway to your exam room?

Even with have all of the jaded adult healthcare experiences you and I have encountered from our side of the service windows, a top that dreaded weigh station scale, or from our hospital bed to sitting in the exam room chair and still waiting.

Being a patient ain’t no cup of tea.

Worse yet, as parents we’re forced to navigate their care from a third party perspective. From maintaining college HIPAA compliance forms to also swimming in healthcare bureaucracy we must fight this battle for them. Then, there’s a staff member that just refuses to find her smile.

When you’re the one trying to find great Physicians’ who will properly treat your kids and family members with the appropriate time required for the question — it is truly like jumping into the deep end of a pool with your eyes, nose and mouth all wide open.

It’s disorienting.

Not too mention finding a medical office and team (and staff!) that will respect you and your kids from start to finish is nearly impossible.

We’re all tasked with this challenge if you have kids.

The fact is as parents we must navigate for our kids their healthcare experience and try to make it a good one. I’m trying to teach my kids that their Doctor deserves respect as they have a really tough job. But, have respect for yourself and help your Doctor live up to the great expectations you have for him/her. We will for the foreseeable future all have to guide our kids in an overwhelmed, under served, customer no-service healthcare culture for at least 18-years … so let’s better understand their perspective and set them up for a healthy Patient-Physician relationship in the future.

Imagine how scary walking into an exam room is for kids these days?

It’s tough being a kid these days too!

What is the Patient-Physician relationship like for them?

Well, today I’m joined in the podcast studio at Concierge Medicine Today by my youngest daughter, Karleigh. She’s an eight year old who is as observant and sharp as they come. Growing up in the shadow of her two teenage siblings will do that.

I used our time together to ask her a series of five simple questions.

LISTEN TO INTERVIEW HERE (CLICK PLAY BELOW)

Ranging from exercise, eating healthy as a kid today, challenges she faces with making healthy decision and what advice she has FOR DOCTORSfrom her side of the exam room.

• LISTEN TO FULL/LATEST EPISODES ON iTUNES …

I think you’ll find some of the questions helpful. They came from an article in TheSuburban.com, and an article entitled Kids Health In 5 Easy Questions.

I hope you will sit back and enjoy this fun 20-minute discussion today and maybe learn a little something too, I know I did!