trying to communicate with doctors

[dinobub]

I don't know where else to ask this question on the forums. I am treated by 6 or so MD's in various specialties and I would think I could ask an occasional question by email, concerning my health (nothing like an emergency ) instead of making a high priced appointment for an answer. It seems to be a conspiracy that they don't answer, after being assured that they do answer their emails when I first meet them. (One of my criteria for picking an MD). I do not ask frivolous questions nor do I send more than one email every 4 months or so. I realize they are busy, but why do they say they do answer emails if they don't? Thanks for letting me vent.

[Marceline F, RN]

Dear Dinobub,

As there are many readers of our forum from around the world that may share some of your concerns, I would like to reply to your post in such a way that may satisfy their need as well as yours.
Please understand, that in the absence of knowing specific details about you, I will be drawing certain assumptions based on the information in your post.
It would appear that you have a somewhat complicated medical history, based on your statement that you are being seen and treated by at least 6 medical specialists.
The practice of medicine is a very detail oriented art. The human body is a very complicated system of organs, vessels, tissues, chemistry and even lifestyle. It would be tantamount to impossible to make a medical diagnosis or prescribe a treatment plan via email. Our day to day condition can change in hours, much more so days, weeks, or months, especially for one, such as you, who already has many co-morbidities. A practitioner would have difficulty giving a precise treatment plan under most circumstances to a question raised via email. It is one thing to ask questions that may be general enough to be answered in a long distance communication. It is another when you are trying to get specific medical advice on a particular concern. I can appreciate that you feel that these issues do not constitute an emergency. However, with multiple system problems (implied by your having multiple specialists), I would surmise that some of your concerns may be best answered by possibly more than one of these specialists.
Many hospitals in the larger cities have "Ask-a-nurse" phone lines available to the public to help address non critical questions. Have you tried them? And of course, we at Doctor's Lounge would be delighted to address some of these questions for you and help you decide what is the best course of action, if we are able to do so.
I hope that this may at least help allay your concern that you are being snubbed by your doctors, when in reality they are wishing to not pass out frivolous and inaccurate advice, which would not be in your best clinical interest.
.