Korean Job Discussion Forums

[noraleen]

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum.

I'm a Canadian citizen in Korea on an E2 working visa. Anyhow, since being here I've had a few medical problems and have been going to a doctor who is located in the same building as my school. His English is not really that good, but he prescribes my asthma medication just fine - which is why I go to him, purely for convenience.

Here's the situation. A few months ago I went to him because I had severe pains. He diagnosed my problem as gall stones and an ultrasound was even performed. Naturally, surgery is needed. 10 minutes after I left his office and returned to work my boss called me into his office to explain to me the surgery options I had. The doctor did not ask my permission to call my boss and inform him of my medical condition.

Anyhow, I went to Canada for a vacation and returned to Korea quite recently. I paid another visit to the doctor a few days ago. I asked him what my options were, what the cost would be, and how to set it all up. He informed me that he would recommend me to a specialist to have the surgery done. That I would need to pay for another ultrasound. I asked him the prices of the two surgery options I had, and he made a few phone calls and with broken English tried to explain the costs. When I questioned the cost of each, he became very defensive and made statements like "This is not Canada, Korea is more advanced". I questioned why I would need to stay in the hospital a day prior to surgery, why I couldn't just stay at home and not eat or drink.

Anyhow, the meeting ended and he asked me to come in the next day and he would give me the appointment information. He gave me an asthma prescription at the same time. Then, I paid the secretary and left.

The following day I returned to the doctor for the information I requested. He said to me "I will not make the reservation for you. I can, but I don't have to. You make it." And I said "why?" and he said "Your problem is that you have an attitude problem. Korea is different from Canada. You call the hospital and make it." He knew full well that I cannot speak Korean and have no idea what steps I would take to find a specialist and set up an appointment.

Needless to say I left the office quite upset that the doctor was refusing to do his job - refusing to help me. I went to my coordinator, who happens to be Korean but quite fluent in English, and told her about what happened. Before I could get through the story she told me that the doctor had called the prior day and told her "She upset me because she kept questioning about prices. It took 20 minutes to see her and I had patients waiting, it took too much time. I don't like her attitude and I won't recommend her to another doctor because if she argues about the price I don't want to look bad."

Is this not some form of breach of doctor/patient confidentiality? Or is that something that exists only in Western countries?

Also, is this not breaking the code of ethics for doctors? That they need to help patients? and not hold a grudge? Again.. maybe that is something that does not exist in Korea.

Either way I would like to know what I can do about this situation. Is there some legal action I can take against the doctor for completely informing my employers of my every medical condition, and his refusal to help because he didn't like my attitude?

Any respose I can get would help, especially if it is from someone with a Legal background in Korea.

Please PM me if you think there is any legal or civil action I can take.

Thanks.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I agree with the doctor. You do have an attitude problem:

[OiGirl]

[peppermint]

The short answer is no. In order to sue for medical malpractice, you've got to find a lawyer with a medical degree as well. I was given a prescription for very wrong medicine last fall, so I asked around.

As for your situation, you were in the wrong here. It's completely understandable that you wanted to know about yourhealth and all that BUT this is Korea, it's their culture and we're just living here. Koreans consider it very rude to question a doctor.

[plattwaz]

In many countries - Canada for example - you can only sue for medical malpractice when you can prove that a doctor has acted with negligance, and when you can prove that there are actual damages. In this case, although he behaved perhaps unethically by some standards, there is no "malpractice" in any way.

I agree it is considered rude to question a medical doctor here, although I have always done it myself, extremely politely, and never had a problem. Every doctor I have been to has a medical degree from a western university and as a result has been educated in "bed-side manner" -- or at the very least done their residency in a country where patients question them. They know darn well that a foreigner is going to question them. However, as with most other things in life, if you are impolite about your ways, you'll likely be treated in the same manner. Asking him kindly will get you much farther.

I do think that the OP, yes you behaved quite rudely towards him, and I can understand that hearing this news about your health, especially when you are far away caused you to react very emotionally. MANY people would react in a similar way.

The part that I don't understand is why on earth you didn't go to a different doctor? Doctors are a dime a dozen here, and unless you are in a small town, the large majority of them speak English. I've been to doctors before, walked into the office, realized the doctor didn't speak English enough to consult with me, and smiled, been friendly and polite, given a bow and an apology and left. Walked to the next building and found another doctor.

Medical care here is actually not expensive, when compared to any other country where you would be paying for it out of pocket. Even with insurance, which itself is very cheap, medical care is affordable, at least for someone on a teacher's salary.

Find another doctor -- gall stones, while painful and perhaps serious, aren't so much of a "personal" nature that requires extreme confidentiality, so if you can't find an English speaking physician, take a Korean friend or co-worder with you.

Good luck, and try to relax.

[paperbag princess]

to the OP just wondering, why didn't you get a medical opinion when you went home to canada?

you're doctor should noot have to told your boss however, not without your permission.

[SirFink]

I too wonder why you didn't just get the surgery done in Canada. I had gall stones and had surgery within days of the diagnosis. It can be a life-threatening condition (in my case, it nearly was). Not to mention incredibly painful. Of course, I'm in the US where you don't have to wait 3 months to get surgery, but you do have to pay for it ($12,000 in my case -- thank God I had insurance).

[ajstew]

"Anyhow, I went to Canada for a vacation and returned to Korea quite recently." OP

Your post begins to fall on deaf ears when anyone reads the above sentence. You are so concerned about your treatment and lack of trust in your doctor, that you fail to take your wonderful opportunity while on vacation in Canada to visit a doctor there. "It's too expensive" you wonder. You could have done an inquiry in Canada as well, and it's not so unusual to have to stay one night prior to surgery in a hospital. Sounds like you are just cheap, whereas he's trying to make sure your best interests are looked after. And then you make a fuss about reserving a bed yourself... is it so painful to ask a secretary or boss for help? Attitude problem... yes... I'd say so. Hope you feel better.

[PaperTiger]

[diver]

I wasn't in the office, so I don't know if you were rude or not. Unlike some others, I will reserve judgement until I meet you face to face.

As the doctor has not performed a procedure, I don't think you have a malpractice case.

The 'code of ethics' (Hypocratic oath) states that the doctor should do no harm, not that they must help everyne who needs it. Not treating someone is not seen as doing harm. Any worsening of the condition is then seen as a natural progress of the condition, not harm through DIRECT action on the part of the doctor.

Sharing personal information? Koreans (even the doctors) do it all the time. I suspect that they do it to each other too, so I don't think it is because you are a foreigner. It is because they have no concept of privacy. Until you ask them a personal question, that is.

You should have tried to get the procedure done in Canada, but that may not have been practical due to waiting times.

Just go to another doctor. I have found very few doctors in Korea that I trust. A lot of them are quacks and scam artists. You should question them, and (in my opinion) there are quite a few that you should be rude to. Don't worry about the apologists on this board. Your health supersedes any bullshit local norms re: 'Omigosh! You CAN'T question a DOCTOR!'. Prolonged hospital stays, uneccessary prescriptions, half-dosing and unneccessary follow-up visists are some of the money making scams that Korean doctors pull. Don't listen to the apologists here. Ask all the questions you need.

Get well soon.

[khyber]

While i doubt you have malpractice,
1) Doctors don't really "barter". You could always try to seek out a CHEAPER doctor/hospital...but there's no point in haggling over the price with someone whose got a knife in their hand and who you are permitting to bring you within an inch of your life.

2) "privacy"? If you were THAT concerned, you should have brought a korean friend along to help you. In end, why is it SUCH A BIG deal? It's possible your boss ACTUALLY cares about your well being and that's why he/she is trying to help.

3) If a patient if being belligerent and ungrateful in Canada doctors still have to help them. Obviously, that isn't the case in korea.

4) IT'S YOUR HEALTH BRAINIAC!!!!!! Spend a bit of money on it.

5) Princess/holier than thou/softie/ BIT**ing gives ALL Canadians a bad name. I imagine you came here looking for a bit of support but I doubt you'll find much.

all THAT said, THIS was funny:

[Captain Corea]

I question Doctors here all the time (ok, I actually don't go to doctors much, but when I do, I question them) and never had a problem. If they don't like me, or I don't like them, I leave.

They seem to really get irked when I insist on getting prescriptions for more than 3 days.

[billybrobby]

i call BS on this post. i mean, are there really people out there like this?

[simone]

[billybrobby]

is that the way the canadian system works? you can't just visit a doctor and pay full price even if you want to?