Courtesy reminder re: how we discuss medical professionals and medical facilities

[Rebecca Petris]

I just want to remind everyone of an important principle in our user guidelines for DryEyeTalk:

Post testimonials of doctors who have helped you by all means... kindly omitting any comments that reflect negatively on any named doctor or medical facility.

By the way, if you have not ever read the user guidelines, please do so. Thanks.

[mylittlem]

Opinions re: professional services

The principle that I have personally followed is to post publicly for all users to see only the positive comments to be shared with others. If I have negative comments or opinions, I am communicating these via PM to whomever I feel has an interest in my particular comment. I assume this is consistent with the Dry Eye principles.

[Rebecca Petris]

Correct. I'm not going to attempt to tell anyone what to do in their private messages. The policy is about public postings.

There is sometimes a fine line between describing one's disappointments and frustrations with a treatment (which is a vital part of our community experience here) and straying into commentary on the medical professionals or institutions providing it. That's the part I find troubling. I just don't want this board to be a place where people diss named doctors, and while I don't always find it easy to figure out where to draw the line, I think it's safe to simply focus on the positive experiences, because at the end of the day, the absence of positive experiences with XYZ doctor on the board can be eloquent in itself.

I have talked to hundreds, actually probably thousands by now of patients over the years and I know many patients of pretty nearly every dry eye specialist of note in the country. I always find it interesting that the same doctor can be described in exact opposite terms by different patients, resulting of course from the specific experience(s) they've had. I have learned to rule nothing out, not to write off XYZ doctor because five people here had bad experiences, nor to assume a new patient will have a good experience because so many here have. At the end of the day our experience with any doctor or facility will probably be as unique as ourselves.