Medical people who disrespect patient rights aren't acccountable

Bub83 · ‎23-01-2021

Hi everyone,

I'm in a bind. I had a psychiatrist appointment to evaluate if it's safe for me to mentally continue IVF treatment. The report is a simple accessing of if treatment should continue or not. As the patient before disclosing anything private I said I don't want my private business on the report and would only disclose on the understanding of that simple reasonable respectable right to have that. So he's sent me a copy of report and I have no idea if my specialist has already been sent it too. He has put in the report everything I opened up and disclosed to him when I wouldn't of if that was likely hence disgust on such disregard to trying to respect myself by protecting my vunerablities. My life was spoken about in second session the first was about the IVF which was the topic of seeing him. In it it he also implies 'sticky thinking'. .He actually did what my specialist did when I was hesitant to continue IVF treatment.Defying wishes on to be treated.

romantic_thi3f · ‎25-01-2021

Hi Bub83,

Welcome to the forums and thank you for your post. It sounds like it's been really distressing to see this report for your specialist and I'm sorry to hear how much it's impacted you.

Is this report mandatory for your specialist to receive? In some IVF centres it appears they need a psychological report, which means that everything that you say is not confidential; so that if you were to consent to the report, you also consent to everything the psychiatrist includes from the session.

I'm not sure if this has been the case here with you, as unfortunately with evaluations we can't choose what is and isn't included, but you do have the right with consent.

rt

Bub83 · ‎25-01-2021

The major issue with consent compared to informed consent I've experienced is: Their was simple form we filled in about embryo use on our death as the counceling session which excluded any invasion of privacy or irrelevant information which we fill in and sign. Also a procedure consent form which actually also states I can remove my consent to treatment as If I decide after reviewing options inclusive of patient to evaluate if suitable which is my decision based on information allowing informed consent. The issue I have experienced is speaking on zoom/calls so they don't have to sign to keep their word on patient care and it's simply if they have integrity or not as to the sincerity of the needs of the patient. The carelessness put us in vunerable situations as people of power who just want the help and trust a medical person and receive what they ask. The exclusion on my own treatment after I was assured I would be informed to confirm any changes having options not taken away eg meds stored in fridge(they last about a year) was on a phone call so the trust in stupidly thinking I'm finally being considered heard and theirs resolution that I'm safe again to continue I won't be isolated with no one being blind to knowledge of anything would stop. To find I go in that I can't get extra meds to have on hand while I consider what I like to do but instead the opposite of the call with everyone knowing changes around me with lack of processing by being misdirected by that conflicted with the call after breaking down before as for over a week I'd had no consultation at all no idea about anything and thought I'd never talk to her at all that I'd been wrongly starting treatment being misinformed that maybe she didn't know so I broke down and only than did she call me I wanted to feel safe & she sounded so sincere and I was tricked and stupid shouldn't have have trusted to continue nothing was taken on bored I was not a person just money and as it's all verbal which is very clever as for any patient as if things go wrong doctor's can deflect deny dismiss and than discard if you stand up as it's unjust and your blamed as incompetent and referred to a psychiatrist after their councelour really rubs in in cruely implying I'm not fit to be a mother. Their is a real disrespect and undermining of a patient's right to decency and real lack of responsibility it's hard as it's really affected me and my now fearing everyone and not risking trying anything again it's so intense

Croix · ‎08-02-2021

Dear Bub83~

You will have to forgive me in that I may have not fully understood what you were saying in relation to your second post.

My understanding is that you had a full and frank discussion with a psychiatrist with a view to establishing if you should continue on an IVF program. This discussion being necessary before the IVF firm involved was prepared to continue. You mention their councilor had already expressed doubts about the wisdom of your continuing (though maybe not in those terms)

It may also be this psychiatric interview was at a member of the IVF staff's request.

There is also another issue that -and here I may be wrong - you wanted to be on stockpile unspecified medication though I'm not sure why and that you mention a specialist, however I'm hazy as to if this is connected to IVF or some other condition.

As a result of all this you have found first that the psychiatrist has relayed -at least to you, the extent of a comprehensive professional evaluation of your mental health state and also that you are not supposed to stockpile your medication.

I think one can leave to one side the matte of tele-health sessions as I do not believe they in anyway reduce a medical professionals obligations, in relation to confidentiality or otherwise.

Your request not to have your private matters relayed in any such report is a difficult one to deal with.

As you would well know the IVF process is highly taxing, both physically and mentally on a long term basis.

In order to properly asses you physical and mental conditions some matters cannot be dealt with in isolation. This particularly applies to mental conditions where the circumstances of a person's whole life is regarded as background and possibly a cause to one's current state. Assessment has become holistic. Thus to leave out matters the psychiatrist felt were pertinent would be a failure of that person's duties.

While it may be a great disappointment to you to have IVF cease and while also you might feel that your personal details might have been exposed more than you anticipated I'm not sure that this is a matter that can easily be worked out.

If you feel this particular psychiatrist has not treated you professionally then the logical approach is a second opinion.

Please do explain in more detail any part where I might have misunderstood, together perhaps with more surrounding facts that might have a bearing.

Croix

CalmCat · ‎08-02-2021

Hi Bub83,

Thank you for sharing something so personal.

What Croix has written is on point, you should get another opinion.

In the meantime, you do have the option of writing a complaint about the provider, if you wish to you can make an official complaint to the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman and Privacy Commissioner (Ombudsman) you can via the AHPRA website; https://www.ahpra.gov.au/About-Ahpra/Complaints.aspx

Please update us!

Regards,

D

Bub83 · ‎26-02-2021

I didnt realise I had a reply. Ok so I have a condition called epilepsy. I havent had a seziure(grand mal) in a long time. My neurologest has said he doesnt need to see me untill pregnant to see if med needs to be increased. The psychatrist sent me a copy of report implying I have sticky thinking(id never heard if it and if true my neurolgist would of imformed me if relevent) which ruins my reputation as it sums up to not have them be liable and absve responsibility of my real disasterous exclsusion when I was assured by continuing with treatment longer I'd included of any changes. I went in to second scan blindsided withdrawing the continuation of meds for longer. As its an ivf cycle i wouldnt be using what I shouldnt. The issue was my specialist hadnt confirmed with me and i should have had the extra on hand to use if I decided to delay. I was assured that by continuing I would be taken seriously ongoing. To have the option to continue linger by having on hand to decude either way after conversation which I trusted them to comply with my right to process and choose. Their stored in the fridge I still some others that werent used and wont be as had no embryos. I was also very naive as my trust was broken so delibretly that I thought I had no choice but to see the referred psychatrist as I didnt trust id be able to get my files transfered elsewhere(they broke ne I wouldnt be doung it their again ever Ive learnt now) unless I saw him I know now I shouldnt have gone ahead with that,the ivf and all was such a deplorable way of treating me to acertain that its all my condition not a real valid underminded blatant disrespect that comes with treating any patient who pays for the privlidge. People of power love to blame the powerless for the messed up manipulation and carelessness to benefit their pockets. I was supposed be able to get some sort of resolution with their(ivf place) patient advocate tgat was a lie too they you email and just ignore and move on and your stuck in this swamp of such toxic kack of accountabke anything sludge it nit even wirth a cinversation which is wgat my specialist assured me id receive minimaly which didnt happen she was just lieing to placate me. No ownership no care no anything its so confusing its like being an invisible and you question your own experience dud it even happen. I think I was gaslighted.