jaredl888 said:
. . . I haven’t seen a doctor since the incident in 5 years. . . . I need a doctors note . . . asked my family doctor and she said she couldn’t write me a letter cause she doesn’t want to take a risk . . .
Like medicineman, I think we are hearing only part of the story (though I wouldn't categorize it as "fishy"). Likely, what you relate is indeed what you "think" is happening or what you think your "family" doctor said.
If you haven't seen a doctor in five years, are you sure that this doctor considers a doctor-patient relationship to still exist between the two of you (for new issues anyway), especially since you "may" be living outside her normal catchment area? You seem to have two main issues with this physician. Firstly, that she wouldn't prepare a "third-party report"
* and secondly that she would not refer you to a psychiatrist.
Generally all jurisdictions in Canada hold that the obligation (ethically or legally?) to provide such reports depends on whether the physician has a treating relationship with the subject of the report. As to the circumstances of your case, (five years since you saw this physician for health services) this blurb from the
Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA - the liability/malpractice insurer in Canada) provides a good outline of what they should report.
It is not uncommon to receive a request for a report about a patient whom you have not attended for some time. You are still obliged to provide a report as to the patient's condition at the time of last attendance. Generally, you are not obliged to call the patient back for reassessment. The report should indicate when you first saw the patient for the condition, when you last saw the patient, and should make it clear your report is limited to that period of contact with the patient. You would obviously be unable to comment on the patient's current condition.
In my opinion, this physician does have some obligation to provide a third party report (at your request, with your consent and with the payment of whatever fee that doctor has set - this is not a health service and thus is not covered by provincial insurance). Such a report should only cover the interaction you had with this doctor five years ago and should include the details of how/why you first sought help from her, any referral she made to specialists (i.e. who sent you to the psychologists?), any diagnosis or impressions she (or the psychologists) made back then, any treatment she prescribed and the progress you made including you ceasing to see the doctor for follow-up. Her report would not be able to provide any opinion about your current health status (mental or otherwise) since you have not seen her in five years. You may not be happy with an honest report.
One of the common complaints about civilian medical practitioners providing medical reports for CF applicants is that they give opinions about whether or not the applicant can do the job for which they are applying. That is not what is wanted; the report should include only the facts of the patient's condition, treatment and progress (if known).
Referring to a psychiatrist - I can only make a supposition about the reluctance of this doctor to refer you to a psychiatrist since I don't know her or the complete story. However, she "may" have difficulty in finding a psychiatrist to accept a referral since you are not presenting with a health complaint but are seeking someone solely to complete a third party report stating that you are now better that you were five years ago; this may be more difficult since it would have to be a psychiatrist who did not see you when you were in your "depressive phase" and thus has no basis on which to judge your improvement. Now, since the "psychologists" seemingly had input into whatever original diagnosis was made, can your doctor refer you to them (or to a clinical psychologist in current location) to do the same thing they did five years ago, make an evaluation of your mental status? Either, your family doctor or your original psychologist should still have copies of any reports they made back then of your condition and this can be a starting point for someone accepting you as a new patient/client.
http://www.cpso.on.ca/Policies-Publications/Policy/Third-Party-Reports
* Third party reports: Forms, letters or reports physicians are asked to complete or prepare in relation to a third party process that are
not for the purpose of the provision of health care.
