What criteria should patients use when choosing a urologist?
I assume that with this question you mean doctors in Azerbaijan. As you know, I come to Azerbaijan every 2–3 months. By the time I’m back from Germany, patients have already been seen by other doctors.
They come to me with ready test results, prescriptions and treatments they have already had. And when I look at those examinations or medications, I have to say with great regret that in some cases the approach is very incompetent. For instance, they put patients through every test, whether or not it relates to the complaint.
In the end, we must always remember that patients have to be given a diagnosis. And treatment has to be prescribed according to that diagnosis. In Azerbaijan I often see our patients being prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics.
They prescribe 2–3 antibiotics, or a wrong diagnosis is made. If it’s a prostate complaint, they simply call it prostatitis and apply a treatment for it — even one that doesn’t fit. Naturally, the patient is dissatisfied and then comes to me.
You find that, in fact, the patient needs a completely different medication. I come across such cases often. Of course, many urologists are my friends and acquaintances.
I even refer my own patients to them. When I’m not here, patients go to them. I trust them, I have confidence in them, and naturally the results are positive.
Unfortunately, though, there are urologists — I could count them on my fingers — who think highly of themselves. In front of patients, in an unethical way, they speak badly of other urologists and say that doctor is no good.
I generally view such behavior negatively. I myself never tell anyone that a doctor is incompetent or anything of the kind. There are ethical norms.
As I said, there are only a few such doctors. It isn’t right for them to consider themselves superior and see us as rivals. Competition itself is also a form of advertising.
But in such cases those patients find out the truth. In the end, the dissatisfaction shows itself. So in such cases, of course, I’ll say it again.
Nowadays patients can not only ask friends and acquaintances, they can also find out what a doctor is like, and so on. You should always look at the results. If there are results, then you can go to that doctor.
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