Not problem patients, but patients with a problem

Brian Barr:

New survey Gives Patients with "Invisible" Illnesses a Chance to Speak Out About How They Are Treated

Patients who suffer from chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, migraines and other pain disorders can now speak out in an anonymous survey about how the medical community treats them.

Patients with these conditions can experience considerable difficulty finding the help and treatment they need; even finding a diagnosis can be a challenge. Doctors often dismiss their symptoms as being imaginary, which further demoralises an already suffering patient.

Now, as part of the research for a new book on how the medical community treats patients with such illnesses, patients can express their feelings and speak out through an anonymous patient survey. All respondents will receive a downloadable pain trigger journal.

According to Susan Bilheimer, author and survey creator, "It's time that the medical community recognised that patients with illnesses that are chronic and not easily diagnosed are not problem patients, but patients with a problem.

Just because you can't see pain and inflammation doesn't mean they aren't real. There are certainly exceptional doctors who understand chronic illness. But for those who don't, I'm hoping to send a wake-up call that it's no longer acceptable to dismiss and mistreat suffering patients."