Why is Doctor asking me?

[BusyBB]

So I'm on day 10 of a sore throat and day 7 of ear ache. It's not getting better, and ear ache getting worse so painkillers are no longer helping and had to take today off work due to the pain.

I called my GP surgery and a doctor called me back, I gave him all the details including that I have never had this ear ache going on for so long, which is why I contacted the surgery. We also did a video call so he could see my throat.

What I thought is weird was the doctor asking me questions like:
Is there anything you are concerned about with your ear?
What do you think caused this ear ache?
What treatment do you think would be good?

Hmm, how should I know the answers when I am not the doctor?

He then suggested antibiotics but said it sounds like a viral infection... which I questioned taking antibiotics for, and then the doctor said he would write the prescription and ear is not better in 3 days I should collect the antibiotics. Happy to follow this advice I guess.

He was probably just trying to get a feel for whether it’s something you’ve had before, or whether something specific has happened to cause the pain. Patients are often best placed to answer for themselves what might have been a factor, especially if it’s an ongoing issue. That isn’t the case for you but might have been for someone else.

Hope you’re on the mend soon!

He is trying to assess your expectations. Ypu may be worried because a relative had a rare ear cancer. You might have googled and expected a certain treatment?
GP obviously isn't asking you what to do. He is giving you a chance to shate ypur worries etc.

I think sometimes they ask to give you a chance to elaborate on your worries. A patient might say "I'm scared it means I have a brain tumor", and then the doctor could reassure then.

Standard consultation practice using ICE (Ideas, concerns and expectations).
Helps with shared decision making.

Because some patients do know and actually just want to be heard so might as well ask before anything.

I usually know what I need before contacting my GP, so all care is for confirmation (in which case it's quick and time has been saved) or they can explain why my request is not appropriate (so far this has been rare).

Oh okay, thanks everyone. I thought maybe I was being foolish for having nothing to tell him. Yeah, that is a good point if I had thought I might have cancer or a brain tumour!

What treatment would be good!? The others I guess he was establishing if it could be linked to anything else ,but as you have a sore throat I'd say ,well, that probably! Did he think you were angling for antibiotics but he wasn't keen maybe? Ear infections are nasty,the one time I had one I got antibiotics no quibbling. The chemist told me to see a Dr as they sajd they can be serious & there was nothing they could offer.

@ScribblyGum

Standard consultation practice using ICE (Ideas, concerns and expectations). Helps with shared decision making.

I think it's definitely this from my experience. It sounds weird from some doctors, as if they're very much reading from a memorised script. Others it sounds fine and you barely notice.

@ThirstyGhost yes I've never noticed them being asked before! Could be that communication is more natural face to face than over the phone!

Because lots of people complain that GPs don’t listen to them and “fob them off” so now they’re trained to ask more open questions.