Why Doctors Don’t Always Follow Their Own Advice

When doctors fall ill, how do they handle their own care? Do they trust their peers, or do they rely on self-diagnosis? A recent survey by MediQuality, a Medscape Network platform, delved into how illness affects doctors’ practices, their trust in the medical profession, and their empathy towards patients, revealing some surprising insights.

The survey included 892 doctors, half of whom were French-speaking. Its results revealed that 7 out of 10 doctors treated themselves while also consulting a colleague. However, 1 in 10 admitted to exclusively self-treating. Why? Some respondents pointed to feeling overlooked or disrespected by their peers as the key reason.

Seeking care can be particularly challenging for healthcare professionals. The French National Council of the Order of Physicians strongly discourages self-diagnosis, warning of its risks. These include a lack of objectivity, diagnostic errors, and the underestimation of certain symptoms, all of which can endanger both the doctor’s health and the safety of their patients.

Ignoring Treatments

The survey also revealed that 42% of respondents questioned their treatment and that half admitted to sometimes ignoring them. Doctors’ ability to critically analyse prescriptions, combined with easy access to resources for self-medication, may explain this trend.

The Order of Physicians considers it unacceptable for doctors to self-prescribe potentially addictive substances for chronic use, such as sleeping pills, anxiolytics, psychotropics (antidepressants and antipsychotics), sedatives, opioid painkillers, and stimulants. Due to the considerable risk of dependency, these medications must be prescribed by a colleague who has the objectivity and professionalism to accurately assess the appropriateness of the prescription.

Access to Care

Opinions are divided on accessing care. One third of the doctors surveyed believed that they were treated more quickly than non–healthcare workers, a trend that may reflect solidarity amongst colleagues. However, when it comes to accessing innovative treatments or cutting-edge medications, one quarter of the respondents felt that they benefited from a privilege.

Impact on Practice

When healthcare professionals become patients, their perspectives on their profession often change. Has illness affected doctors’ careers and their empathy towards patients? About 4 in 10 doctors surveyed said that their illness had a significant impact on their careers, and half said that their experiences had strengthened their empathy towards patients.

Doctors’ Voices

The following are personal accounts from doctors who participated in the survey, shedding light on the challenges and attitudes they face when it comes to seeking medical help for themselves:

• “It is difficult to find yourself on the other side of the table. You always imagine the worst diagnosis.”
• “There’s a lack of communication between colleagues, a lack of continuity in care, a lack of empathy from many specialists, and a lack of contextualisation of a health issue.”
• “The way doctors think today is very different…less deduction and more consensus.”
• “It is hard to let go and ‘allow’ yourself to be ill. Within the profession, there is a culture that we are not allowed to be sick, which creates a lot of secondary guilt.”
• “After being ill, there is a real understanding of what patients can feel, and from them, an increased trust…You know what a particular illness or treatment involves.”
• “I was unable to work for over a year following a complicated leg fracture, and being declared ‘disabled’ was very hard, almost humiliating…However, being on ‘the other side’ strengthened my empathy towards patients and made me aware of the helplessness one feels when facing illness.”

The results of the survey are available here.

This story was translated from MediQuality using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.