How to know whom to trust?

Hi all,

Just looking for some advice/thoughts on how you all decide if your doctor is "trust-worthy."

I just moved to Pittsburgh and am seeing a new GI at UPMC. After meeting with him today, he essentially questioned EVERYTHING that has been done for me treatment-wise in the past three years. He didn't understand why my previous GI did any of the things he did (which of course I couldn't explain). In a sense, he was confirming some suspicions I've had as I've been feeling frustrated with my previous GI's approach.

The new doctor appears to be very thorough and straightforward, and wants to make sure I understand everything about what's being done. He's already ordered a slew of tests and an endo/colonoscopy and CT scans to completely reevaluate my health. While this is what I wanted, it's making me a bit nervous, and I think this might stem from the possibility that I may not have Crohn's after all (he suggested I may have misdiagnosed UC) and there may be something else entirely different going on.

Overall, what signs/cues tell you your doctor is trustworthy? If you were given a different diagnosis, would you seek a third opinion before embarking on a new treatment plan? How have you all dealt with the change of GIs who have very different approaches?

Thanks for your responses!

Personally, if I switched Dr's, I don't know that I would trust anyone who didn't put me thru new testing. To me, it would show me that while he may value my last dr's opinion, it's always better to have new test results to compare to old and make sure that they come to the same conclusion.

As long as your dr explains what he is doing as he goes along, seems interested in how YOU are doing, not just what the test results show, and is available for any emergencies, then I think I would start to develop some trust for him. Go with your gut feeling...it's usually not wrong.

Who are you seeing out there? I just moved from Pittsburgh and saw Dr. Baidoo at Presby. I think the hospital and staff out there is top notch.

I gauge my doctors and health professionals (especially since I work as one) by how well they explain what is going on with my body. They should justify a test to see if there's something going on and they should tell you what they're looking for.

I feel most doctors will question each others work. Maybe it's an ego thing, or maybe it's because they want to see how much was explained to you. But the only time is the present, so you need to make sure they are doing what is best for you.

I remember when I first started at UPMC, my doc asked why I was talking Colazal because it's a UC medication. After explaining that Pentasa made my hair fall out and I'm allergic to sulfa drugs and my Crohn's is in my colon, he understood. But sometimes I don't think they understand when they see something written in a chart until they talk to the patient.

Maybe the new doctor saw something in your chart that makes him doubt the Crohn's diagnosis?

I question everything my doctor does. However, I do a ton of research on line and no one doctor has an answer. This illness is basically trying different things to see what works. The most important thing to do is to ask lots of questions. Don't follow your doctors advice blindly. Research research research. And visit as many sights like this as possible. Stay informed of new studies going on. We have to take matters into our own hands to get through this.

Also, humor helps. Check out Ben Morrison. He is my hero. The only comedian that can make us laugh about our ibd problems.

I'm with glitter paws - take nothing for granted. Ask lots of questions and don't trust blindly just cause they are docs. Remember, the last graduate in medical school is still called "doctor". Any worth while doc should answer all your questions to your satisfaction (not theirs) using language you can understand, explain procedures, labs and outcomes well. I am a strong believer in research, look at literature they have published or been involved in, read message boards that discuss patient experiences and ask around in the community for recommendations. (Kinda like a mini mental poll!) In the 80's military clinics were subcontracted out (as in to the lowest bidder) and my family was the recipient of marginalized care. This all did serve to develop a healthy sense of preservation and developed survival rules that I follow to this day (these are just a select few!). Take care! Barb

Sometimes it must be an ego thing, but it certainly doesn't inspire confidence to hear one doc knock another. 

When my daughter was first diagnosed, in our hunt for a good doc, we ran across a top doc (at least per Castle Connolly) who said with raised eyebrows about her Entocort prescription, "ONLY 9 mg??" So I looked up the prescribing information from the manufacturer, which clearly said 9 mg is the absolute maximum dose, because clinical trials had shown higher dosages offer no added benefit. So we crossed him off our "good GI" list.