RE: Letter to doctor that said I wouldn't get better

[Guest guest]

I agree, . Especially how the very small little bits that I put

about the doctor's comments to me were 100% factual, it is not

libelous or slanderous.

I think this raises an interesting concern. It seems like there is a

lot of concern/fear or whatever you want to call it about retribution

from the doctors. That's an awful place to be in...I know until I

started writing letters and making phone calls of complaint I felt

like I had no power or voice and that felt HORRIBLE to me. I am also

trying to give the doc the benefit of the doubt that she probably

WANTS to do the right thing and is not hateful or neglectful...just

burned out from seeing women with such a hard to treat diagnosis. I

am hoping that if she understands that her attitude makes a huge

difference AND vulvodynia is treatable then not only will her

patients be better off but she will probably feel less burned out,

too. I don't feel like I can cut much out of the letter as she is a

research scientist herself and probably needs/wants more than one

study to back up the assertations that I am making...otherwise it's

just one person's opinion.

Also, I feel like I have a right and a duty to give feedback to

doctors regarding this treatment. So much of vulvodynia treatment

is " let's try this that and the other thing " well, those docs need to

know what works and what does not.

Finally, the reason I would cc it to the department of managed care

and the customer service department is because I was encouraged to do

so by my health insurance company as a way of documenting my need for

out-of-network care thus getting able to be reimbursed.

Lindsey

>

> Slander is disparagement through oral communication. *Libel* is

disparagement through *written* communication. My layperson's opinion

is that simply writing to your doctor a personal communication that

is not cc'd to anyone else would not be libelous, no matter how nasty

the letter would be (and yours is very respectful in tone). You are

simply sharing your feelings - that should be no problem. So long as

there is no threat in the letter to tell everyone else what you think

about your doctor, you should be okay.

>

>

> Re: Letter to doctor that said I wouldn't get

better

>

>

> Lindsey,

>

> I'm going to have to agree with Arline on this one. Also, I

> think the letter even if you were to send it is way too long,

> and too much information that he won't have the time to read.

> It also puts you at the possible risk of being sued for slander.

>

> I would not recommend sending this letter.

>

> Kristy

>

> __________________________________________________________

> Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your

pocket: mail, news, photos & more.

> http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC

>

[Guest guest]

I would shorten it. I agree it's too long and he will not take the time to read it all.

Sherri

-------------- Original message -------------- > Lindsey, > > I'm going to have to agree with Arline on this one. Also, I > think the letter even if you were to send it is way too long, > and too much information that he won't have the time to read. > It also puts you at the possible risk of being sued for slander. > > I would not recommend sending this letter. > > Kristy > > > > > > > > ________________________________________________________________________________ > ____ > Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, > photos & more. > http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC > > > **IF REPLYING TO THIS POST, PLEASE REMOVE OR

IGINAL POST, > Thanks for your cooperation! ** > > ***

[Guest guest]

Hi Lindsey,

I am afraid I also agree, and for all the

same reasons that Kristy and Arline

mentioned. Sending the letter will in the long run do you more harm than good.

The doctor won’t read past two sentences’ before it is pitched in

the trash. It is way too long, and I think there could be serious repercussions,

and not in your favor.

nne

[Guest guest]

Lindsey, I'm coming into this topic a little late, but here is my opinion. First of all, where you are a Mental Health Care Professional yourself I think you understand the 'medical' side of things pretty well. I do not think your letter sounds mean or hateful in any way. Because you said the doctor does research I think she would be likely to give the letter her attention, if not, then that is her decision...and that doesn't have to stop you from trying. From what I understand, you would have to do something like write your local News station and give FALSE information (to a large group of people) for it to be considered libel. Considering the fact that you were a patient of this doctor and you are speaking to her about the ACTUAL (or rather factual) treatment (or lack thereof) that you PERSONALLY received, how on earth is that grounds for libel?!!! I've been seriously considering writing to some of the doctors that I've seen over the years that didn't really help me. Instead of just leaving a doctor and moving on silently, we should let them know WHY we left. If not, how will they ever know that they in FACT did NOT help us? Some docs probably think they DID 'cure' us if we never went back! *yikes* Anyway, in my opinion, send the letter! ~Chelle

[Guest guest]

I think the NVA website actually supplies a form letter for women to

use to contacts docs who misdiagnosed them. The gist (to the docs) is

please contact the NVA and learn more about vulvar problems. I have

been debating sending a copy to my GP from years back. Never occurred

to me it could get me in trouble. Wouldn't the NVA consider and rule

out legal problems before advocating we do this?

Lia

>

> Just as a site of interest - http://www.ratemds.com/index.jsp

>

>

>

> On this site you can look up your doctor and give him/her a rating with

> comments. If your doctors are not listed, you can add them. I have

added

> quite a few doctors to the list lately. Some favorably and some

unfavorably,

> but I was able to get some of my frustration out in writing. I found

that

> when I was the first entry on a specific doctor and my response was

> unfavorably, and then I looked back on this specific doctor a few weeks

> later - I found many other entries with unfavorable opinions also.

It was

> almost like others felt the same way, but were afraid to make the first

> entry. (The entries are anonymous)

>

> I have been going to my primary care doctor for 18 years - that is

really a

> long time. When I developed pelvic problems, and she didn't have a

clue of

> how to treat me, she basically dismissed me from her care. Not really,

> because if I have a cold, etc, I can make an appointment to see her,

but she

> told me - don't come back to her with any mention of pelvic

problems. I have

> been tempted to write her a letter many times, but I haven't - only

because

> my files are tied into a central network where ALL (and there are

quite a

> few) of my other specialists and even the hospital can read them. I

feel I

> am at the mercy of doing what they want me to do, and I don't want

anything

> negative on my file for all of them to read. I know this is wrong

and it is

> the coward's way out, but I am at the mercy of the system.

>

> nne

>