T and Pdoc Sharing Treatment Details With Each Other, But Not With You...?

My T and Pdoc occasionally correspond regarding my treatment. My T doesn't let me see these notes, but will give an extremely general idea of what he's mentioned. I usually have to ask and ask and ask to get that much out of him.

How do you guys deal with people discussing you and your treatment without you? I'm really paranoid and want to know every detail.

I usually just ask my pdoc and T. They are both always very forthcoming with me about what they've discussed.

I would not agree to let them speak to each other. I don't have a psychiatrist or even md, so it is theoretical for me, but I cannot see me being inclined to allow it.

No, there is no way i'd allow that, you have a right to know your own treatment plan. Pretty sure you have a legal right to a copy of any correspondence related to you.

Don't get me started on this topic. This is the main bone of contention I have with my T at the moment. He claims its to keep me safe, I say **** off! I'll up date doc if and when I feel its neccessary.

Hey guys, I'm not asking for your opinion on the communication itself, but rather how you deal with it if you are in the same or similar boat.

The communication isn't necessarily about SAFETY, just updates on our work, where we're at and what has come up.

Mine do this. T told me they talked the other day. I can't imagine they really have anything interesting to discuss. I find myself endlessly fascinating, but I am sure they do not.

If the doctors involved did not tell me in detail what they discussed, I would revoke the authorization for them to discuss me.

Sorry, about that I just triggered because up til last week I didn't know that my T updated my doc between the compulsory 3 month treatment plan letter he sends. It was only after my doc said she got a call from T regarding me, because i authorised T to contact her initially, I thought it was just the one call. Now I feel betrayed. Mot to mention hurt and paranoid.

My T and Pdoc have always corresponded about me. Generally I'm actually in the room when they are talking via phone, but there have been occasions when they've talked when I didn't happen to be there. I'm okay with hearing what they had to say in pretty general terms. I mean, I already know what they plan to discuss about me already, so it isn't like there discussions are going to be something particularly different than what they've already spoken with me about. I really don't worry about it.

I know when I've been in the hospital, the entire treatment team meets everyday and discusses each patient on the unit: pdocs, therapists, nurses, techs, medical doctors, social workers, etc., and I definitely am not privy to those conversations, so a discussion of me between just my pdoc and my T seems pretty minor by comparison I guess from my experience.

Is your fear that they will say something about you that they haven't been straight with your about to your face? I can see that being a problem for some people, but my T and pdoc are extremely straight with me about what they are thinking/considering, etc. about me and about my treatment. No particular surprises happening there. If that is your fear, is it realistic? Have they been less than straight with you? Or, is this more about your own insecurities? Either way, good fodder for discussion with them.

My situation sounds different than yours as I'm dealing with an eating disorder currently, but I can relate. My eating disorder only recently came out in my personal therapy session. My therapist and my dr now talk about me quite often. In fact, my T will send her notes while I am sitting there in session if he thinks there are things she should know. He also tells me things they have discussed in person as they are in the same clinic. Now that I'm starting treatment at an ED clinic, my files are being shared. Their T, dietician and anyone else working with them along with my T and dr.

While I'm nervous about all of this, everyone has been open and honest with me so far. Both my dr and my T have always told me what has been said between them, so I trust them both. I hope you're able to get your T to tell you more about what's been talked about you in detail. Trust me, I'm just as paranoid!

Well, I just can't see much need in them conversing without you knowing what was said. I mean, if they are talking about some problem you may have, then how can you even begin to work on it if you don't know what it is. I just can't see the wisdom in that.

I would defintely ask how they think this "secrecy" is productive for your therapy and/or pdoc treatment.

Cause I'm just not seeing it.

I have a different reaction. I feel special b/c they're talking about me and I like it. I have no idea what about me is interesting, but if they want to talk about me, I'm okay with it.

Think that's a really nice way of thinking about it. I'm paranoid and would think they would be discussing how crazy I am. One reason I have not given either of them the other's number. (Pdoc wants T's number but I said no, T has never asked but says that Pdocs are "all mad" so probably doesn't want it )

I agree sierra. Most times, discussions include technical jargon and general data info that is pretty blase actually. It is simply information on any possible changes in medications, has patient shown any improvement, side effects of new treatments, or maybe information that is new to the medical professionals about a new therapy method being used elsewhere for treatment of a similar health issue. The team of professionals involved in caring for a patient's issues all have to be in communication with each other to avoid the dangers of double treatment of meds by mistake, or if the patient tells one pro about a time of leave coming up and forgets to inform another, etc. These are the things they have to exchange.

See, I know my T and my Pdoc don't disrespect me enough to refer to me as "crazy". They have both shown such professionalism and respect for the seriousness and difficulties I have been through over the years. There is no blaming me for what has happened; there is no belittling me for being ill. There is genuine concern for my well-being and interest in finding effective ways to help me. They both work under the philosophy that the 3 of us (T, Pdoc, and me) are collaborators in my care and treatment.

My husband's physicians and T all work together this way also. He has our family physician, a pain specialist, a pdoc, and a T, and they have all spoken to each other in various configurations over the years. It is absolutely necessary as he has a severe medical condition that complicates treatment of everything else. Without that kind of collaboration, one doctor might try a treatment that could actually put his life in danger.

I have a very vivid memory of walking into my grandmother's hospital room when I was around 14 a day or so after she had surgery. I walked in to find her in a psychosis although I didn't understand what was happening at the time. What had happened was that she had several different doctors she had been going through for several different issues, and she hadn't let all of them know what the others where doing medication-wise. Her treating surgeon had not been informed of all the medications and conditions she was being treated for because she had been keeping that information to herself. After her surgery, she wasn't getting all of the meds she had been taking because, again, she hadn't allowed that information to be shared between her physicians (not so much because she didn't trust them; it was in her case more a matter of not knowing any better). As a result, she had gone into fast, severe medication withdrawal that resulted in psychosis. It was ugly and frightening for all of us, and the whole nightmare could have easily been prevented with simple communication between her treating physicians, but that communication has to start with patients being knowledgeable enough and willing enough to be open with all treating parties.

Neither of my t's has ever asked to speak with my pdoc, and she has never asked to speak with either of them. I would not sign a release for them to speak to each other, because I do not think it is necessary. If something serious came up that required more care, such as hospitalization, I might feel differently.

I'm sorry, I didn't answer your question. How would I deal with it if they spoke about me to each other? Not very well. I don't like professionals discussing me without me being there. I would not want to be left out of a conversation about me with my medical doctors, so why any different with my mental health providers?