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If we didnt have doctors...
Following on from Renal post actually (http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=819597)...
Obviously we do need doctors...
But I thought it would be an interesting thought experiment: Say we stopped having doctors (and medical schools producing them) from tomorrow - they all just stopped working and refused to see patients.
We'd still have Drugs, Information on how to take drugs (from the internet) and medical resources such as Nurses and Therapists etc....
What would we all actually die of, as in, what would over time cause escalating death rates?
I would say that the most sudden and major cause of death would be through not picking up/diagnosing infectious disease - rather than any of the major killers such as Cardiovascular disease or Cancer (much of which are incurable anyway). Furthermore, illness where surgical/procedural intervention would become major killers, such as appendicitis.
Obviously we do need doctors...
But I thought it would be an interesting thought experiment: Say we stopped having doctors (and medical schools producing them) from tomorrow - they all just stopped working and refused to see patients.
We'd still have Drugs, Information on how to take drugs (from the internet) and medical resources such as Nurses and Therapists etc....
What would we all actually die of, as in, what would over time cause escalating death rates?
I would say that the most sudden and major cause of death would be through not picking up/diagnosing infectious disease - rather than any of the major killers such as Cardiovascular disease or Cancer (much of which are incurable anyway). Furthermore, illness where surgical/procedural intervention would become major killers, such as appendicitis.
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lella_m
mis-diagnosis I'd say.
Like individuals diagnosing themselves wrongly? I guess it wouldn't matter because they wouldn't be able to get treatment anyway.
If they get rid of doctors tomorrow i'm gonna be very pissed off. I haven't even finished my training yet at least let me feel like I have a chance..
Sarky
Like individuals diagnosing themselves wrongly? I guess it wouldn't matter because they wouldn't be able to get treatment anyway.
.
.
well thats the thing, im saying, just doctors stop working - ud still have all the drugs avialable for purchase and the information avialable on how to use it - apart from where doctors need to do procedures
Would prescription medicines and hospital treatments just be freely available?
No doctors means that there would be no A+E department pretty much!
misaachaydenk
Would prescription medicines and hospital treatments just be freely available?
Hopefully not - otherwise the system would be heavily abused (or at least much more so than it is now)
Vazzyb
well thats the thing, im saying, just doctors stop working - ud still have all the drugs avialable for purchase and the information avialable on how to use it - apart from where doctors need to do procedures
that and failure to understand drug interactions, mis-diagnosis, etc
you're dealing with a society that thinks homeopathy is a sweet idea
Drug interactions would be a big one.
I don't think simple infections would be a huge problem initially as there are pretty standard treatments for things like UTIs and mild CAP which in the majority of cases would be effective at treating them if given by another healthcare professional. However the more unusual infections would probably kill more people as would the ones that are resistant to standard treatment.
More people would probably die from trauma and surgical emergencies as their would be no surgeons to fix bones, stop internal bleeding, take out appendixes etc
Also things like MIs and Cancer deaths would probably go up as much of the treatment is doctor led e.g. chemotherapy, removal of tumours etc. Especially with cancer these people will probably also die faster.
Those the main things that come to mind.
I don't think simple infections would be a huge problem initially as there are pretty standard treatments for things like UTIs and mild CAP which in the majority of cases would be effective at treating them if given by another healthcare professional. However the more unusual infections would probably kill more people as would the ones that are resistant to standard treatment.
More people would probably die from trauma and surgical emergencies as their would be no surgeons to fix bones, stop internal bleeding, take out appendixes etc
Also things like MIs and Cancer deaths would probably go up as much of the treatment is doctor led e.g. chemotherapy, removal of tumours etc. Especially with cancer these people will probably also die faster.
Those the main things that come to mind.
blimey..a lot would go wrong! firstly just leaving the nurses and therepists to do the doctors role aswell, would leave it extremely short staffed, overworked and the NHS would just go to pot in a few days
and yeah, mis diagnosis of specialist conditions, no specialist drug knowledge etc
and yeah, mis diagnosis of specialist conditions, no specialist drug knowledge etc
Llamageddon
drug misuse (accidental or on purpose) would do it, then
that and failure to understand drug interactions, mis-diagnosis, etc
you're dealing with a society that thinks homeopathy is a sweet idea
that and failure to understand drug interactions, mis-diagnosis, etc
you're dealing with a society that thinks homeopathy is a sweet idea
lol i'm one student nurse who thinks homeopathy is a big pile of sheep poo
anna_spanner89
blimey..a lot would go wrong! firstly just leaving the nurses and therepists to do the doctors role aswell, would leave it extremely short staffed, overworked and the NHS would just go to pot in a few days
and yeah, mis diagnosis of specialist conditions, no specialist drug knowledge etc
and yeah, mis diagnosis of specialist conditions, no specialist drug knowledge etc
No, not short-staffed, un-staffed
anna_spanner89
lol i'm one student nurse who thinks homeopathy is a big pile of sheep poo
Sarky
Like individuals diagnosing themselves wrongly? I guess it wouldn't matter because they wouldn't be able to get treatment anyway.
If they get rid of doctors tomorrow i'm gonna be very pissed off. I haven't even finished my training yet at least let me feel like I have a chance..
If they get rid of doctors tomorrow i'm gonna be very pissed off. I haven't even finished my training yet at least let me feel like I have a chance..
Don't worry, your awesomeness will open doors for you!
Well to be fair .. we did a whole on CAM and I think the placebo/whatever effect can be useful... and it also depends on what you class as complementary.... some stuff has evidence base...e.g. acupuncture.
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