to wonder why consultants comment on people's personalities?

[EverythingYouDoIsaBalloon]

Not a TAAT but I just read a post on a different thread that mentioned someone experiencing this, and it reminded me that I've heard about it several times over the past couple of years.

In 2023 I fractured my shoulder and as it wasn't a straightforward fracture I was referred to a consultant, who wrote in one of this reports that I was a 'very pleasant lady'. While that was nice to read, it baffled me a little as I didn't see the relevance.

Then a friend of DH's said a consultant had referred to him as a 'pleasant gentleman'. (Different part of the country, no chance it was the same person.)

Then another friend said she'd been referred to as a 'lovely lady' when seen for stomach problems.

Don't get me wrong, compliments are always nice. I just find it a bit strange in a health context. 🤔 I've wondered whether it's some sort of code for 'cooperative patient' or something along those lines, but then I can be a bit of a cynic at times.

Has anyone else experienced this, or does anyone know why it's done?

Just remembered how rude some Consultants were back in the day.
I was preparing letters and notes for the next day clinic and one Lord God Almighty of one area of the alimentary tract had written to his counterpart. the God of another beginning ' This fat smoker is demanding your opinion on her dodgy, may need removing, Gall Bladder'
With a referral like that, I wonder if she received the treatment that she presumably needed.

My dc had to attend a consultant paediatrician once as a baby and I was amused to read afterwards that he'd written in her notes "child's father is currently undertaking Phd in X university". Totally not relevant, and I hadn't even told him this myself! When she was being weighed prior to seeing the consultant the nurse asked me what I and my husband (who wasn't even in attendance) did and I told her. She obviously told the consultant at some stage, and he didn't feel that my lowly teaching job was worth recording.

Haha, I got a copy of my cat’s vet history for an insurance claim and they’ve noted ‘gorgeous fur’ on his records

They are correct!

I was called a 'very pleasant gentleman' - I was really pleased!

I saw my consultant a couple of weeks ago and apparently it was a pleasure to meet me again.

I guess it was better than the last time, when he saw my rolling around in agony and then routed around inside me for 4 hours.

After my last hospital-related thing, the consultant merely referred to me as 'Mrs AlteredStater' and used no adjectives at all! I had disagreed with him about treatment and had refused to proceed further. All politely but still against what he wanted. So I figure saying nothing descriptive is also saying something!

I’ve had both adjectives in the consultants’ letters to my GP.
It calms down my apprehension at the start of the letter and makes me feel like they see me as a human being with personality not just a patient.

If I write 'it was lovely to see X again' it usually means I'm thrilled my treatment made them better.

lol we got ‘amazing furry tail’ on ours 😂

I'm usually referred to as "delightful" as I'm a doctor and make extra effort to be super-nice to everyone because I know what it's like.

I also often get referred to as "fellow clinician" even though I haven't practiced for a while anymore, which is effectively code for "don't bullshit her"

I think it is rather dated. I find younger consultants don’t describe patients in this way whereas older ones still do.

It's definitely just to warn other doctors what you're like and keep a bit of track on whether there's any deterioration in your mood/appearance etc.

I've had 'casually dressed with clean and tidy nails and hair' which made me laugh and I've also had 'this pleasant and engaging lady who works as a solicitor' , probably code for be careful she may sue.

Once I got in a tempered discussion with a dermatologist and he wrote 'well informed and persistent' 😂

I work in healthcare and get copied into lots of letters and reports where people are described as pleasant, delightful, lovely etc. Some of them really aren’t so I think it’s just something some doctors say as standard. I write reports myself and would never use that kind of description. I try to keep things factual.

I was a medical secretary previously, when a particular consultant didn’t say a pleasant person, we knew they hadn’t got along! It’s harmless and fills space rather than being completely factual and frankly boring.

It can be important in some specialities to specify handedness. In neurology, handedness can affect the presentation of a brain lesion for example and can have an effect on scans and EEGs.

In rheumatology or orthopaedics, it will indicate how functionally problematic a disorder on one side could be. It could also explain why somebody has a stress injury in one wrist but not the other.

It is not a compliment or an insult ;-)

DD2’s notes said she had an anxious mother. I was not anxious I was really cross. Wish I’d had the energy to insist they deleted it as 15 years later I am still pissed off about it!

This!

Unfortunately I think it was probably meant to convey an unhealthy over involvement …,

I have a really good memory and type up (or talk to text) immediately after the appointment under certain headings.

It really doesn't mean anything. People always think it's a secret code, but it's not. It just means the appointment went well.

I've had 'we had a long chat about' probably meaning I asked too many questions / went on a bit

That's really surprised me, I've only just started noticing it recently so had assumed it was the other way round, that it was a new thing.

Crikey. Sounds like they thought 'educated = more likely to ask questions', or something...

(hit post too soon)

Meant to add that if that was their theory it's rather insulting to teachers that they didn't equate teaching with being educated!

I can relate to that. I actually have had to remind myself not to put on an upbeat front or seem too cheerful when seeing the GP because of struggling with my MH. Crazy, but in my case the conditioning comes from the 'always be cheerful and smiling' ethos I was hardwired with growing up. I'd hope a skilled clinician would see past the facade, but then again they've only got a few minutes to assess each patient, so it's probably not realistic to expect them to.

It's definitely an established means of giving the next professional a heads-up on what to expect from you. There are lots of stylised phrases and acronyms medics use.

I still have a grudge against the supercilious twat of a doctor who saw me in A&E after I fainted with a migraine and hit my head hard, during a game of manhunt at boarding school. He wrote "this girl allegedly fainted" so clearly thought I was malingering, despite the projectile vomiting, drowsiness etc. I am 47 and still aggrieved about that letter!