155 doctors from 30 states responded to the survey "When asked to identify the three main reasons for delays in patient diagnosis, clinicians specified:
Inadequate physician education about tick-borne diseases (86%)
False negative lab test (61%)
Prior misdiagnosis (52%)
Lack of EM rash (37%)
Patient residence in a state believed to be low incidence (25%)
First disease manifestations were those associated with late disease (21%)
Public misinformation (16%)
Patient delay in seeking care (5%)"
Posted by Ann-Ohio (Member # 44364) on :
I was really moved by this doctor's response:
“I used to practice in a state where physicians who treat complex patients, including people with chronic Lyme, were specifically targeted by health insurance companies for medical board complaints and other attacks
ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY HELPED PATIENTS OTHER DOCTORS GAVE UP ON.
Eventually I elected to move to [a state] where there is less interruption of care and more protection of vulnerable patients from predatory insurance entities.”
Posted by daisys (Member # 11802) on :
Thank you for posting this information.
I was expecting to see, as a top reason, the protocol Insurance Co.s established for doctors.
Seven minutes per appointment just won't do it for someone with Lyme disease.
Also, one complaint per appointment is a waste of time and money.
It wasn't until I went to a LLMD that I really got the help I needed.