General Discussion

But please don't let those sorts of interaction color your view of all patients who try to stay engaged and current on the state of research when it comes to their own afflictions. I'm sure it is exhausting to have to explain that the nonsense that someone read on Facebook or heard from their husband's uncle's cousin's friend isn't a valid basis for medical treatment, but some of us who do have serious chronic health conditions actually do try and keep aware from actual reputable sources.

In my experience, good physicians actually like having patients who provide high-quality observations about what's going on with their condition, especially if they are medically and scientifically conversant and can articulate their symptoms properly. But there is another cohort who rolls their eyes and treats any patient who reviews the medical literature as placing unearned trust in "Dr. Google" or WebMD just upon hearing a variant of the phrase "did some research".

In the latter case, clarifying that I'm referring to peer-reviewed research from The Lancet, NEJM, the NIH, etc. not Alex Jones or some other snake-oil salesman peddling colloidal silver, that usually clears up the misunderstanding. But it really doesn't engender a lot of trust in the doctor / patient relationship when that's the starting point.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying that you're one of the MDs who react this way, it's just worth keeping in mind that "did some research" doesn't automatically equate to "give me ivermectin for COVID because some podcaster said it works".