I'm going to start by saying that I really don't enjoy writing negative reviews. I feel that harsh criticism is rarely justified based on one bad experience, and I'm not trying to ruin anyone's livelihood. I thought about this for quite some time before ultimately deciding that speaking up was the right thing to do, if only to prevent this from happening to someone else.
I visited Northeast Dermatology Associates recently for chronic and severe psoriasis that I have been dealing with for some time, covering a significant portion of my body. The doctor I saw (we'll call him Dr. X) seemed to be quite knowledgeable of my condition, but unfortunately he did not seem to be very interested in how my symptoms have been impacting me. To put it in perspective, there are scabby plaques all over various parts of my body, and they are simultaneously itchy and painful. The itching is the worst I've ever experienced, is severe and constant, and has completely sucked the joy out of my life. The pain isn't as excruciating, but it feels like there are patches of small cuts all over my body; I imagine it feels about the same as having had your flesh scraped repeatedly with a cheese grater, except it won't ever heal. I was interrupted each time I attempted to express these points, but in my experience this is not all that uncommon with doctors. I was irritated, but I figured he didn't need the specifics of how I was feeling to be able to treat my symptoms. I decided to let it go.
During the physical examination Dr. X mentioned "percentage of coverage" to his assistant multiple times, but this did not seem odd for a first visit. He quickly shifted the conversation to participation in a clinical trial (in his words, "the best chance I have" of getting some relief), and explained I would need a certain percentage of coverage on my body to qualify. He also made sure to let me know several times that they would pay me to take part in it. I was somewhat hesitant to agree to this, but was assured that the medication was already FDA approved and safe; they were merely testing it's efficacy for psoriasis symptoms it was not originally designed to treat (inverse psoriasis if you are curious, although I wouldn't recommend looking it up if you're squeamish).
There were two different trials, and not qualifying for the first I agreed to participate in the second. Dr. X provided my number to another doctor who was coordinating the study, and said I should expect a phone call by end of next day. The conversation then ended and he walked out the door, with no further explanation of the trial or what it would entail. At this point I was more concerned with getting temporary relief than the specifics of the trial, and after stopping him mid-exit he agreed to provide me with a clobetasol topical (as if treating my symptoms were an afterthought at an appointment I specifically made to, you know, treat my symptoms). Again I was irritated, but the office was busy and I figured he was just running behind. I decided to let it go.
I received the call from the coordinating doctor as I was walking out the door of the office. We discussed the trial in depth, at which point she informed me about a control group and the likelihood that I would be given a placebo. Dr. X did not mention this possibility at all during my visit; he framed it as though I would be getting paid to take a medication I would normally be paying money to receive, with zero mention of any possible downside. It is difficult to adequately put the severity my symptoms into words, but I will say there is absolutely no chance I would gamble on not receiving treatment for four additional months just to make a few bucks. AGAIN I was irritated, but I figured the doctor's neglect to mention this during my visit was just an honest mistake. I decided to let it go.
The coordinating doctor then scheduled an appointment for me to meet with the team overseeing the trial, and casually mentioned that Dr. X is actually in charge of the study. I found it odd that he (once again) neglected to mention this fact, and even more odd that he went out of his way to give me the impression the woman I was speaking to was in charge. Suspicious at this point, I looked it up and found that doctors are generally paid around $70,000 to $80,000 per clinical trial. This isn't a problem in itself, but inverse psoriasis is also very uncommon, and finding participants in a loosely populated state like New Hampshire must be quite difficult. It then became quite apparent why he pushed clinical trials as the only viable option after less than 30 seconds of looking at my body, without suggesting any alternatives. I was irritated, as I discovered my treatment was being delayed in order to profit from my suffering. I decided NOT to let it go, and to find a new doctor. Unbelievable. read more