Why are IVF patients so proud of their ignorance ?

  

Many patients who have failed an IVF cycle ask me for a free second opinion by email , which we offer on our website at www.drmalpani.com

I ask them basic questions , such as - What medications were used for superovulation ; or what the quality of their embryos was , and they are often completely blank . They don’t know this basic information , and this always surprises me , because I can't believe IVF  patients will spend so much time , money and energy on doing such an important treatment without actually doing their homework . You need to do your research , so you know what the right questions are, and can get answers to them.

While it’s true that doctors are very busy people , and often will not entertain their patient’s questions , it is equally true that it is in the patient’s best interests to be well informed , so they know exactly what's happening .

This is why your doctor’s website is often a better source of information than your doctor . You are understandably reluctant to ask your doctor questions during the consultation, because you are worried that he many get irritated if you ask him any. Also, you are reluctant to waste his time by asking him questions , because there is a long line of patients waiting to see him ; and you are worried that your questions may appear to be stupid .

The doctor’s website, on the other hand, is extremely patient, and will allow you to ask as many questions as you like , and will answer them for you as well !

While it maybe true that the doctor is reluctant to share information with you because it allows him to hide his incompetence, you have no excuse for choosing to remain ignorant .

This kind of information asymmetry is harmful for patients , and that's why you need to do your homework before starting your treatment.

While it’s it's true that there is a lot of high quality information available on the web it's also equally true that there is even more poor quality, unreliable and outdated information available online as well.

The best way to differentiate between high-quality information and poor-quality information is to study lots of information , so that you learn what is reliable and what is a lie.

Remember that the quality of the information on a clinic’s website is often likely to be far better than what your doctor will tell you .  He may have a vested interest in not sharing the truth with you during a consultation, because he is trying to sell his services, and he can get away with making tall claims within the four walls of his clinic , but it's much harder for him to lie on a website where the information is publicly accessible , and he will get pulled up if he lies.

You need to have a strategy for evaluating information, because there is so much of it. The good thing about being a patient is you can be patient. You have a lot of time to access this information , and it's in your best interest to do your homework before starting an IVF cycle , rather than leave everything up to the doctor