Having busy myself to prepare the upcoming scientific meeting in my area, makes me realized one thing. You need a lot of negative psychology to deal with people. The program was heavily sponsored, safe to say, participants pay only a quarter of the actual amount. Yet, the respond for the participation had been underwhelmed, with only a handful of early adopters, the rest were 'dragged' into the program. I spent 1 whole evening calling every possible places, all the nearby health clinics and hospital, even rang up the health centres in nearby university, just to plea for participants. However, the past conferences that I attended to, which we have to fork out between RM 400 to RM 800 each, it was a full house, and I was actually being rejected for admission to one of the conference held in Penang! Probably, when people pay, they will actually feels the pinch and think it is a very important thing instead!
Same with patients that I see day in and out. The healthcare cost is pretty much covered by taxpayers' money when one admitted to the ward or visits the clinics. However, a person I knew was diagnosed with lung malignancy. He refused treatment in general hospital for the sake that it is free and free means it is no good or second class. He rather fork out hard earned money to get chemotherapy in Singapore instead. Currently, he is in Beijing getting some novel 'cold' therapy for his cancer. Same as generic versus labeled medicine. I have a colleague who encountered this type of patient that we labelled as 'fussy'(not uncommon, certainly seen in daily practice). She was seen by other doctors for her diabetes and hypertension. First line medications were given to her and explanations made. However, she wasn't satisfied because she received the generic medications and made a big fuss to complaint if we do not change her medications to the box type that has fancy colours. Probably its a good idea that the generic pharmaceutical company made their medication in better packaging and interesting colours instead!
Human... When can I finish learning this subject? Probably never.
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