I genuinely enjoy being challenged as a healthcare professional. It gives me an opportunity to express my positioning, ask questions, and reassess my stance with an open mind. But perhaps most importantly, it gives me a platform to empower and inform my patients. That way, I can provide them the nuance and complexity they need to come to their own conclusions.
Sadly, I’m aware this isn’t a common approach in all healthcare environments. The more informed and empowered the patient becomes, the greater a threat they pose to the ‘old guard.’
That’s why I don’t want you to entrust your care to people who don’t (or can’t) put their egos aside. Which is why I compare and contrast both approaches below.
Here’s a quick article overview:
- Traditional medicine is often challenged by patient education and empowerment due to its outdated, paternalistic approach.
- The ‘old guard’ of medicine typically discourages N = 1, as well as individual research into specific topics or healthcare approaches.
- The new approach for healthcare professionals should be driven by transparency, open-mindedness, and relevant data.
- A doctor who does not (or refuses to) embody these traits may not be a suitable choice for your metabolic health team.
- You may want to fire your doctor if they don’t meet expectations, then use a simple vetting checklist to seek a physician who’s right for you.
The ‘old way’ of medical care
If you remember the healthcare system of the 1990s, you’re likely familiar with the paternalistic approach to receiving medical treatment. You walk into a clinic, tell the doctor what you’re feeling, and let them tell you what’s wrong and how to fix it.
This process was largely designed to prevent patients from making crucial errors. After all, how could patients be expected to make the best healthcare decisions without a medical degree? Won’t they suffer more in the long run?
Another element to this approach is defending outdated, or widely believed, medical truths (like statins’ effect on your health). That’s why many so-called health influencers and traditional medical professionals unintentionally operate inside of echo chambers.
Dr. Nick Norowitz perhaps says it best:
“My sincere impression—and I would welcome being proven wrong—is that much of the information the public receives from contemporary science communicators is shaped less by an open pursuit of truth than by carefully calibrated relationship management: the construction of in-groups and out-groups, and tightly managed discussions designed to defend one’s position atop the hierarchy, rather than to meaningfully advance understanding.”
You can get his full thoughts and opinions in this Substack article.
The new approach to health and health education
The modern patient is more informed and empowered than ever before. And I believe that’s a good thing.
Yes, you need to be careful where you get your health advice from, but bringing informed opinions and recent reading to your doctor can be a huge net positive for your metabolic health.
You just need to find the right healthcare team to embrace you.
Using Ovadia Heart Health as an example, here’s what you should look for in a medical team:
Transparency
It’s okay to admit you don’t have all the answers.
Being able to tell my patients, “This is what we know right now,” ensures I never become dogmatic or step beyond my limits as a healthcare professional. I advise, not force, my patients to take meaningful steps toward better health.
This also helps build trust in my patients. That’s because I want to treat them as adults with the capacity to make their own decisions, not be a threat to my ego or reputation.
Open-mindedness
Perhaps not so open-minded that their brains fall out, but you deserve a healthcare professional who is willing to listen to contrasting points of view and entertain constructive disagreements.
I want my patients to feel free to ask questions or propose ideas I don’t always agree with. I almost always learn something from these conversations, and give my patients the power to do their own research (and take their own approach if desired).
Again, that’s because my role as a physician isn’t to force anything on the patient. I never tell my metabolic coaching clients that they have to purchase specific medications or follow specific diets and lifestyles. My role is always to educate and support. And if someone wants to question my methods, it’s my job to simply give them my reasoning and provide them with research and scientific data.
Which leads to the final point:
Driven by data
Ego should have no place in conversations around metabolic health. This is especially true when discussing the cold, hard facts.
I’m very passionate about representing scientific literature as I read it, as faithfully and academically as I can. It’s not my job to impose value judgments on the data itself. Instead, I want to point out the bigger picture: what the data means in context and how it applies to other research surrounding metabolic health.
So I encourage you: build up a health team that avoids rigid thinking, or any kind of groupthink that decides the ‘science is settled’ rather than evolving. This simply doesn’t align with how real science works.
It can also be dishonest and even dangerous when a patient’s health is on the line.
So: is it time to fire your doctor?
It’s been said before, but I’ll say it again: you must take responsibility for your own health. You cannot trust that every healthcare professional offers the transparency, open-mindedness, and data-driven approach you deserve.
That’s why I’ve made it my responsibility to rely on patterns we’re seeing in data. I ask questions of peers and experts, let myself be challenged by both, and above all else, seek to pursue the truth.
If you can’t say the same of your current healthcare practitioner, I highly recommend firing your doctor.
You can then use my simple vetting guide to find a professional to better suit your needs.