“…But I play one on TV.”
This slogan made for a catchy TV ad campaign – but it is generally a bad prescription for seeking professional medical. Yet thousands of us turn to “surrogate doctors” for our medical advice.
Who are these surrogates? They might include popular TV doctors or therapists, pharmacists, fitness trainers, wellness coaches, medical assistants in doctor’s offices, insurance case workers, social workers, the health food store clerk, our favorite health blog or website -- not to mention doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals we meet in social settings. Even when these people are licensed, certified, well-qualified professionals, acting only on their advice can expose us, or our loved ones, to unnecessary risks.
The popular appeal of celebrity medical advice is undeniable and understandable. We are strongly influenced by all popular media, and there is something highly accessible, personal, and soothing about the telegenic presence that comes into our home every day, giving us advice in simple sound bites, radiating warmth and charm, never making us wait, and never charging us. Likewise, the pharmacist (or anyone working in the pharmacy) can be a convenient neighbor – the person you see regularly at the grocery store. The nurse in your church group might provide a more sympathetic ear about the pains in your leg. These surrogates appeal to those of us can’t afford to see our doctors, who are intimidated by physicians, or who don’t want to “bother” our doctors.
What are the risks of seeking and following “surrogate” medical advice? The chief risk occurs when individuals turn to surrogates in lieu of their personal physician, or when the advice of a surrogate contradicts the advice of your physician. Most surrogates don’t know your personal medical history or your family history, they’ve not read your health records, they won’t know all the medications you are taking or what your doctor has specifically recommended. Sometimes, they extrapolate based on their “hunches” or prior experience. This happened with my mother, when a physician she met in a health-food store casually suggested (without benefit of any professional examination) that my mother’s complaints sounded like Celiac Disease, influencing her to drastically change her diet, which led to significant and counterproductive weight loss. All based on a single, casual conversation!
The helpful person at your pharmacy may not even be the pharmacist. The medical assistant in your doctor’s office may be very bright, but she doesn’t speak on behalf of or in place of your doctor. Most surrogates are well-intentioned (and some have no idea they are advising in lieu of a doctor), but they are reacting to symptoms without a fuller understanding of what the bigger problems might be.
And bear in mind: surrogates have no accountability for the outcomes of their advice.
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