Forum: Close doctor-patient relationship can help in catching medical problems early
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I refer to the article “ Beyond basic blood tests: What add-ons should you get at your next health screening?
A complete list of tests to avoid missing some diagnoses is not necessary for every patient.
Such an approach is counter-productive and even expensive, and also ends up as just a series of unnecessary tests to exclude certain diseases.
Having said that, some tests may be deemed useful based on the expertise of the doctor and his relationship with the patient.
For instance, women after menopause who are underweight and complain of back pain or hip pain may benefit from a bone mineral density test to exclude osteoporosis. An early diagnosis of osteoporosis may help avoid fractures.
Another problem not diagnosed frequently is infection of the stomach caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacterium.
Patients complaining of tummy upset and gastritis may need to exclude this infection, which can be picked up from a blood test or from gastroscopy, with an analysis of the stomach secretions.
Helicobacter pylori infection, if untreated, may progress to cancer of the stomach.
Overtesting can lead to anxiety, but not doing some tests based on observations and medical histories can lead to disastrous consequences.
The doctor-patient relationship is important, hence the advice not to doctor-hop is helpful.
Some diagnoses are made based on the close relationship of the doctor with the patient and these diagnoses can be made even without the classical signs and symptoms.
Quek Koh Choon (Dr)
