Why Are Some Patients Noncompliant?

A patient (and contributor to Hospitalist With a View) with chronic illness describes why.

It is extremely difficult for patients to balance among multiple specialists. The medical system can be stressful, though necessary. When a patient can't remember a couple of specialists' names despite a decent memory, that patient may be a bit overwhelmed. In my case, today I had an appointment with my rheumatologist, and I have an appointment tomorrow with the dermatologist, an appointment Monday with the neurologist, and now I may have to see a hip specialist and the GI specialist too. I was spoiled by the luxury of having a few months without medical appointments. I have not yet scheduled with the PM&R doctor and wheelchair seating expert so I can get myself sitting up and out in the world more, only because I had been exhausted by appointments and am not thrilled about moving to different equipment.

This is why 5% of the population spends 50% of our health care dollars in the US. Chronic disease is expensive, especially when you are being bounced between a rheumatologist, a gastroenterologist, an orthopaedist, a dermatologist and a neurologist.

Every doc will do something and that something costs money. It also makes organizing your life around something other than your disease almost impossible.

This scenario may soon become a relic of the past. In how many countries now can you get an appointment with five subspecialists in less than a month? The answer will soon be none.

You can find her other musings at FridaWrites)