Why Doesn't Your Doctor Talk About Home Medical Devices?

Let’s start with the basics: medical education. A doctor spends six years at university and then years in specialty training. During that time they acquire an enormous amount of knowledge — from anatomy through pathology to pharmacology. But what do they learn about home medical devices?

The answer is simple: almost nothing.

In Hungarian medical education — and this is characteristic internationally as well — electrotherapy, magnetic therapy, and softlaser treatment appear at most in one or two lectures, usually as part of another subject. The emphasis is on drug therapies and surgical interventions. That’s not accidental: today medicine is largely built around drugs and surgery.

A medical student learns which painkiller to prescribe for back pain, when to refer a patient for surgery, and when physiotherapy is needed. But they do not learn how a home TENS device works, what parameters to set, or in which cases it can be truly effective.

This is not the doctor’s fault. They simply weren’t taught.

The tyranny of time

Suppose there is a GP who has heard of home medical technology options and is even interested in the topic. What can they do in daily practice?

An average GP sees 40–60 patients a day. If you do the math, that means on average 5–10 minutes per patient. In that time they have to listen to complaints, examine the patient, make a diagnosis, prescribe medication, and fill out paperwork.

Now imagine that within those 5–10 minutes they would also have to explain what TENS therapy is, how it works, which device to buy, how to use it, which programs to choose, and how often to apply it. That is simply impossible.

Home medical technology is not like prescribing a medicine. It is not enough to say, “buy a device and use it twice a day.” The patient needs to understand the basic principles, know the device’s functions, and know when and how to apply them. This is a full educational process — and the current health system simply doesn’t allow the time for it.

So even if the doctor wanted to, they could not meaningfully deal with this topic within the constraints of a typical appointment. And what does an overworked professional do in such a case? They recommend what they can arrange quickly: prescribe a drug or give a referral to physiotherapy.

The financing trap

There is another seldom-stated factor: money.

The Hungarian health system is based on performance financing. A doctor gets paid for what they can bill to the public health insurance: examinations, procedures, prescriptions. But do they get anything for spending an hour explaining home therapeutic options to a patient?

No, they don’t.

In fact, if a patient treats themselves with a home device, they may not attend physiotherapy sessions — which would generate revenue for care providers. The system’s logic is therefore at odds with steering patients toward such solutions.

This is not to say doctors are greedy or deliberately keep patients dependent. Most doctors sincerely want to help. But they work in a system that does not reward — and in some respects even penalizes — innovative approaches that encourage patient independence.

The shadow of the pharmaceutical industry

Think about where a practicing doctor gets information about new therapies: professional conferences, continuing education, medical journals, and pharmaceutical representatives.

And who finances much of that? Largely the pharmaceutical industry.

This is not a conspiracy theory but a simple economic reality. Pharma companies spend huge sums on marketing, medical representatives, sponsored conferences, and research. They have every tool to present their new preparations to doctors.

In contrast, manufacturers of medical devices — especially those intended for home use — are typically smaller companies with modest marketing budgets. There is no device representative knocking on every GP’s door to explain the benefits of a new TENS device. There are fewer sponsored conferences on the latest results in electrotherapy.

So doctors simply do not encounter this information. They constantly hear about drugs, and almost never about medical devices.

The question of evidence

Medicine — rightfully — follows an evidence-based approach. That means a therapy is accepted as effective only if adequately designed clinical trials demonstrate its effect.

That principle is correct and important. The problem is which types of studies receive attention and funding.

Developing and approving a new drug costs billions of dollars. For a pharmaceutical company this is an investment that can pay off because a patented medicine can be sold under monopoly conditions for years. So it’s worth investing in expensive clinical trials.

By contrast, an electrotherapy device lacks such patent protection. If a manufacturer proves a therapeutic approach is effective, all other manufacturers benefit as well. There is therefore little commercial motivation to fund costly large-scale clinical trials.

That doesn’t mean there is no evidence. There is — many smaller and larger studies support the effectiveness of electrotherapy, magnetic therapy, and softlaser in various conditions. But these studies appear less often in high-prestige medical journals and are less likely to be integrated into medical training.

So a doctor can find evidence if they look for it — but the evidence rarely comes across their desk on its own.

The power of conservatism

Medicine is, in many respects a virtue, a conservative profession. It is cautious about novelties, sticks to proven methods, and is skeptical about “miracle devices.” There is good reason for that: history is full of so-called breakthroughs that later proved ineffective or even harmful.

This skepticism usually protects against charlatanism. But it has a downside: genuine new approaches are accepted more slowly.

Electrotherapy, magnetic therapy, and softlaser treatment are not new inventions — they have been used for decades. But the fact that these modalities have become suitable for home use, affordable, and effective is a relatively recent development. The medical profession has not yet fully processed this change or integrated it into routine practice.

That takes time. Medicine moves like a large ship — it turns slowly, but once it turns, it holds course steadily.

The question of professional identity

There is a rarely voiced but important psychological factor. A key element of a doctor’s professional identity is that they are the one who heals. They have the knowledge, make the diagnosis, and prescribe treatment.

When a doctor tells a patient, “here is a device — from now on you can treat yourself,” it challenges the traditional medical role to some extent. It’s no wonder this can meet resistance — even if that resistance is not conscious.

The centuries-old pattern of the doctor–patient relationship is that the patient passively receives treatment. Engaging the patient and training them for self-care requires a paradigm shift — not only in the system but also in the doctor’s mindset.

This shift has already begun. More and more physicians recognize that in chronic disease management, active patient participation is indispensable. But changing attitudes is a slow process, and we are far from it becoming universal.

What can you do?

Now that you understand the background, the question is: what can you do with this information? How can you navigate a system where your doctor may not even know about options that could help you?

First: don’t blame your doctor. They are part of an overburdened system with limited time, limited information, and limited leeway. Most doctors try to help to the best of their ability — they simply weren’t taught about the options discussed here.

Second: be proactive. Inform yourself, read, ask questions. If you suffer from chronic complaints and conventional treatments haven’t produced a breakthrough, don’t be afraid to raise alternatives with your doctor. “Doctor, I read about home electrotherapy — do you think it could help in my case?”

Most doctors are open to dialogue if a patient approaches them informed. They may not be able to give a definitive opinion — but at least it can start a thought process.

Third: seek specialists. There are doctors, physiotherapists, and rehabilitation experts who specifically work with home medical technology. It’s worth finding them and starting with their guidance.

Fourth: don’t go to extremes. Home medical devices are not miracle cures and do not replace medical care. You need a diagnosis, professional guidance, and regular follow-up. Devices give you a tool — but you must use that tool wisely.

The change has already begun

It’s important to see that the situation is changing. Slowly, but surely.

More doctors are recognizing the importance of home therapeutic devices. The international literature is growing and the evidence is accumulating. Younger generations of doctors are more open to innovations, and in the age of the internet patients are better informed — which in turn influences doctors.

Paradoxically, the COVID pandemic accelerated this process. When people couldn’t visit clinics and hospitals, they were forced to look for home solutions. Doctors confronted the fact that telemedicine and home therapies do not threaten but complement their work.

In Hungary there are already doctors, clinics, and rehabilitation centers that actively recommend and support the use of home medical devices.

Medimarket.hu was created in part for this reason: to build a bridge between modern technology, doctors, and patients, providing professional background and appropriate information.

Your responsibility

Finally, let me say something that may be uncomfortable but important: you are primarily responsible for your health.

Not the doctor, not the health system, not the state — you. The doctor helps, advises, and treats — but daily decisions are yours. You decide what you eat, how you move, and how you manage stress. You can also decide whether to passively wait for the next appointment or actively take steps toward your recovery.

Home medical technology provides tools for that. Not a magic wand, not a guarantee — a tool. An opportunity to be more than a passive sufferer of your illness and to become an active participant in the healing process.

If your doctor doesn’t talk about these options, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist. It simply means you must look into them, inform yourself, and ask. That can be tiring and sometimes frustrating — but the stake is your own health.

And it’s worth the effort.