Avoiding The Doctor For Fear of Diagnosis

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and yet many patients still avoid going to their doctor when they experience symptoms commonly associated with heart problems. Also, if a patient has no symptoms, but there remains a history of heart disease in their family, they may avoid the doctor even if they know making an appointment to check on their heart condition would be wise.

Many patients avoid the doctor out of fear. Commonly, they either fear being diagnosed with an illness and the resulting treatments that will accompany said diagnosis, or they fear a misdiagnosis.

Being diagnosed with heart disease is understandably unsettling. It can force people to acknowledge their own mortality and inspire fear, especially in those who had family members who died due to a heart condition. Encouraging patients to stay one step ahead of these conditions and monitor their health can ultimately save lives, and extend quality of life. Both early treatment and preventative care are priceless when it comes to caring for cardiac patients.

Patients who fear a misdiagnosis may be easier to persuade into a doctor’s office than those who fear the other. Many individuals have had negative experiences associated with medical personnel and hospitals. Often, this leads to people losing faith in the medical profession and even their own physicians.

Cardiac SPECT Exams & Cardiac PET Scans

Sometimes, convincing a patient to visit a doctor is as simple as providing them with hard facts and reliable statistics. When it comes to cardiac medicine, treatment plans often include some form of nuclear cardiology. These kinds of tests are some of the most reliable forms of diagnostic testing offered to cardiac patients.

Both SPECT and PET scans are noninvasive methods of viewing the heart from outside the body, utilizing radioactive tracers to produce dimensional images of the heart that can be examined by a physician. These modern tests are responsible for helping physicians treat cardiac patients more efficiently and accurately than ever before.

To diffuse any fears a patient may have surrounding misdiagnosis, it would be wise to provide said patient with accurate statistical evidence and/or reassurance regarding the accuracy of nuclear medicine.

At Cardiac Imaging, Inc., the importance of providing accurate and reliable nuclear cardiology to your patients is precisely why we do what we do. If you are curious about our state of the art PET testing systems, contact us today.