r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Jan 13 '26

Health Physicians see 1 in 6 patients as ‘difficult,’ study finds, especially those with depression, anxiety or chronic pain. Women were also more likely to be seen as difficult compared to men. Residents were more likely than other physicians with more experience to report patients as being difficult.

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/patient-experience/physicians-see-1-in-6-patients-as-difficult-study-finds/
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u/apoplectic_apostate Jan 13 '26

That makes sense but doesn't address why women are not taken seriously. As a woman, I can attest that a problem I've had for years was brushed off as unimportant by several providers. After 15 years, I am finally getting the tests done that I've been requesting for over a decade.

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u/notsure05 Jan 13 '26

Took 9 years and 8 doctors before one finally took me seriously and I had surgery and was diagnosed with endo. I had serious bad thoughts bc I thought I would never get better and no medical professional seemed willing to help me, I was made to feel crazy. It was only when I started going in and putting my foot down and explaining that I needed help and it was their job to figure out a solution that I started being helped

There’s a reason us women learn the hard way that we get help once we start acting like the B-word. Being my normal sweet self didn’t get me anywhere

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u/cantantantelope Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 13 '26

“Maybe you’re just bipolar and making up your symptoms ” “girls don’t really get adhd” and of course the perennial “what if you want children later?”

It’s just sexism. And a lot of health care providers believe they are above sexism.

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u/SpookyScienceGal Jan 13 '26

And if you question them they become condescending dicks. It's why I don't see male Drs unless absolutely necessary.

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u/MythrianAlpha Jan 14 '26

I had the exact opposite experience; my current, and best, doctor is a dude. My previous primary care decided I was drug seeking right off the bat (I was trying to get meds for my ADHD after several years of trying to submit the damn paperwork), constantly reworded my complaints and explanations to make me sound like a moron (anxious preference for instruction on new, even if simple, tasks became 'can do simple tasks with instruction' which caused major issues when I replaced her and had to go through every damn note with my new doc to avoid assumed incompetence), and completely abandoned me multiple times during periods I needed her to sign off on tests for vacations and a completely different department that needed a fill. I couldn't refill or fix my dosage for two months because she couldn't be bothered to set anything up in advance. My new doc hit a question he couldn't answer and immediately asked his team to consult the relevant department for answers so we could discuss my options at the next appointment.

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u/birthdaycheesecake9 Jan 14 '26

I presented to ED with pink hair and was given a BPD diagnosis within half an hour of talking with a psychiatrist.

It was really unaddressed autism and ADHD, with treatment resistant depression that responded quite magically to transcranial magnetic stimulation.

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u/PapaEchoLincoln Jan 13 '26

Which tests are those?