#AIR-CLINIC PUBLIC FORUM 7: Why Are Some Patients Reluctant To Visit The Hospital?!

in #air-clinic7 years ago

Hello Air-Clinicians & Friends,

This is the seventh week of our weekly public forum discussions and it keeps getting better and more interesting.

The last discussions we had have no doubt revealed more a lot about the healthcare/hospital settings to our audience.
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Many can see reasons why things are done the way they are and it gladdens us that #AIR-CLINIC, the first ever healthcare system built on the Steem blockchain is pioneering this initiative.

The discussion for last week was centered on the characteristics of one's ideal doctor or nurse.

Those who contributed were @olamilekan21, @jeizwannahavfun, @the.chiomz, @dee.y, @dammyzee, @noblekings, @kayesin

We appreciate every single one of you for taking your time to drop comments.

This week, we would like you all to tell us what you think about this topic 'WHY ARE SOME PATIENTS RELUCTANT TO VISIT THE HOSPITAL?

Let's have you talk about this. Feel free to drop helpful suggestions and anything you feel we should know in this regard.

PLEASE DROP YOUR COMMENTS BELOW...

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According to me I think so that other people may be afraid of the doctor i.e. syringe or they might not have money. Unfortunately. I know this sounds cliche. But this is my opinion of things here. #airguild.

Various reasons
-Financial incapability.
-Fear of the unknown... people would rather die feom an unknown cause than have something to worry about tull they die.
-Too embarrassed especially when the patient have an STD
-White coat syndrom (patients get anxious due to the doctors whute coat).
-PTSD-post traumatic stress syndrom... patient might have lost a dear relative in the hospital so coming to the hospital environment traumatizes the patient.

Some patients are reluctant visiting the hospital because;

  1. Some believe in superstition. They think that their sicknesses are caused by one witch or the other.

  2. Some because of what they've inherited. That is, their forefathers used herbs, so they think it's the very best.

  3. Some are afraid of being seen by others that they're sick, or others knowing their sicknesses.

  4. Fear of stigmatization.
    Some are afraid of being stigmatized because of their sicknesses. Maybe having got to know of what's affecting them, they stay away from hospital so that no one would get to know about their sicknesses in the course of going there for treatment.

  5. Previous experience of mistreatment by quacks.

  6. Lack of close-by medical facilities and lack of proper attention on their previous visits

  7. Lack of knowledge and wrong conclusion that their sicknesses have no cure

  8. Poverty

  9. Discouragement by others

  10. Low self-esteem

Lots more.

Thanks for sharing this @air-clinic

Wow @drstarry,
You have really given some thoughts to your answers here.
All your points are very valid especially in the 3rd world.

It should be noted that; its very necessary to visit the hospital when ill, despite all these challenges to avoid complicated illnesses that may be much more difficult to handle.

Thanks for contributing here.
Cheers!

I'm grateful. Thanks @air-clinic

I personally feel reluctant to visit the hospital because of two reasons;

  • First reason, I lost a close relative(very close) because of a nurse carelessness. It's still rings in my head every time I attempt to visit a hospital.
  • Second reason, I personally can not stand the sight of blood and the smell of blood. I can't at all.

Awwch @menoski,
Sorry for your loss!
However, you still have to visit the hospital when sick.
Perhaps you should be happy that you have #air-clinic;
With our online & offline services, you may not get to experience all those ever again.
Cheers!

Yea, that's Y #I-Love-Air-Clinic is online.
Lolz

My mum is a nurse and I do go to the hospital but I have never been there to receive treatment of any kind because i rarely fall sick and i don't like drugs. I usually feel nauseous when i see drugs.
I feel some patients are reluctant to go to the hospital because of lack of proper attention by the nurses(mostly in government hospitals). For some, it may be due to lack of funds.
Also, some aged persons may not visit the hospital because there is no one to take them there.

Hey @dhemii,
all your points are valid.
Indeed people have various reasons for not visiting hospitals as @drstarry further enumerated, however, none of them are acceptable.
Thank God for #Air-Clinic which makes it easier for people to access healthcare much better.
Cheers!

According to me...

medical errors in hospitals account for more deaths than car accidents

Financial incapability

I have great fear for syringe 💉 , so I am always scared of going to the hospital, I avoid hospital by all cost

In most cases, if you go to the hospital and you are not sick to a point of dying, then no one will attend to you. So what's the need of going to sit for hours when you can visit the lab, run some test, go to the pharmacy and get drugs?

And for some people, definitely not me , their religious beliefs don't propose hospitals for whatever reason it is, I don't know... Faith ? Maybe...

Nobody wishes to fall sick. But yet visiting the hospital is inevitable.

Time and procedure:
From picking a card, to submitting it... Before you then have to see a doctor could take you half of the day. This doesn't include the test you have to do, and drugs you have to buy at the pharmacy. Everyone seems to work at there own pace in the hospital.

Smell of Izal:
Seems this is the only germicide we have in Nigeria. The smell is an absolute turn off for most people.

Fear:
Hospitals reminds people that life is short and that every one dies at one point or another. This can be scary and hard to deal with.

Hey @shuta
We understand some hospitals could have the challenge of having to attend to patients pretty slow but it's just one of the procedures patients have to be patient with.
We appreciate your comments
Cheers!

Well, I can only talk about the reluctance to hospital visits in Africa/Nigeria as that is where I reside. I reckon it'll be the same for all developing nations.

People may not like hospitals for a number of reasons:

  • Fear of the unknown: I think a lot of people are comfortable just not knowing the things happening within. People feel like being oblivious to a disease makes them immune to the disease.

What I don't know can't hurt me.

  • Fear of modernization: This may seem silly, but a lot of people are scared of modern equipment used in hospitals.

  • Religion: In Nigeria particularly, religion is a big problem in the healthcare sector considering that a large amount of the population would rather pray and fast than seek medical attention when ill.

  • Poorly trained health personnel: This is my own personal favourite reason. It's not always about patients. In some places, health care is so terrible that I would rather just self-medicate.

  • Poverty: Pretty simple, they can't afford daily meals so health care is a luxury they definitely can't afford. It's just not a priority for poor people/ low-income earners, worsened by the lack of proper health insurance schemes in 3rd world countries developing countries.

  • Previous bad experience: Especially seen among people who have lost close relatives due to negligence on the part of health workers.

I think I have basically summarised all the reason I can think of as to why people would be reluctant to seek expert medical care.

Hey @the.chiomz

All your listed points are very valid and we must say that these are really reasons why people eschew hospitals when the need arises. Interestingly, your second point sounds funny. Do such group of persons really exists?!
Thanks for contribution.
Cheers!

This sounds so funny to me!
I asked a few friends this question on my way home from school.

Most said it's because most people hate drugs due to their bitterness.
Also they're afraid of syringes. This is so true

Thanks alot @air-clinic you are doing a great work on this community.

Well to me,i think is because of money.some doctors will refused to attend or treat a patience just because he has no money to pay for his or her bill.they will say dey are not running a charity home.
2.when you visit a hospital for one problem they must fishout another one.that will make you be thinking and be sad.you may spend closely 10000 or more for just a test in some hospital.so alot of people expecially the poor prefer to go true the native way that is cheap and aforedable.(herbs)so to my i thing the main reason is lack of fund.money

Hey @tpassion
Doctors are trained to treat the whole individual and not just the patients complaints that's the reason for the needed tests and other requirements. Also, people need to remember that prevention is always better than cure.
Thanks for your comments.
Cheers!

Thanks for replying me,but the doctors should also know that money cant buy life.money is not everything. Try to safe a life first before talking about money.ave seen a situation where by the doctors need to do an opreation for a patience to enable him survived but they refused to because the family can not get the amount need at that time for the operation and they lost the patience.and they later find someone who assist them with the money.so had it been they help them by doing the operation to pay later he might not die.so if you dont have money is better you leave your self,take some herbs and let God take control.even the doctors they are just trying there best is God that heels.thanks

Apart from regular phobia, some people detest the smell of hospitals (e.g me, I think hospitals sicken me)
And then there's the poor service and judgemental attitude of some medical personnel.

Personally, I think one of the reasons could be:

Lack of funds: some people may really want to visit the hospital but cannot foot the bills. In the case of government hospitals, which can be affordable, so many protocols have to be observed before the patient is attended to. Therefore, self-medication becomes the order of the day which appears cheaper but unknowingly to some very dangerous to health.

Hey @prettyabby
You said it all, self medication is bad. We hope people get to do the right thing no matter what especially when it has to do with their health after all life has no duplicate.
Thanks for your contribution.
Cheers!