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"How can doctors help someone with ME?-Thoughts in brief, from 25% ME Group med adviser Dr N Speight

Dolphin

Senior Member
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17,567
From the latest newsletter of the 25% ME Group:

How can doctors help someone with ME?

Thoughts in brief, from 25% ME Group medical adviser Dr Nigel Speight

ME sufferers deserve a medically led service, with the authority to make a definitive diagnosis of ME in patients referred. This service should be staffed by:

- Doctors who understand and believe in ME as a genuine (if poorly understood) organic/physical illness;

- Doctors who remember the principles of respect for patient autonomy and the need for informed consent;

- Doctors who will act as patient advocates;

- Doctors who can tolerate the severity of some cases and their own feelings of impotence when confronted with them, and not feel duty bound to “cure” their patients somehow;

- Doctors who are open to new ideas e.g. the possibility that some cases of apparent ME may in fact be Lyme Disease and may be curable by antibiotic therapy.

http://www.25megroup.org/Information/Newsletter/issue 37/Carer37.doc