When Doctors Don't Listen How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests

by Wen, Dr. Leana; Kosowsky, Dr. Joshua

• ISBN13: 9781250048486
• ISBN10: 1250048486
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-06-24
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Summary

In this examination of the doctor-patient relationship, Drs. Wen and Kosowsky argue that diagnosis, once the cornerstone of medicine, is fast becoming a lost art, with grave consequences. Using real-life stories of cookbook-diagnoses-gone-bad, the doctors illustrate how active patient participation can prevent these mistakes. Wen and Kosowsky offer tangible follow-up questions patients can easily incorporate into every doctor's visit to avoid counterproductive and even potentially harmful tests. In the pursuit for the best medical care available, readers can't afford to miss out on these inside-tips and more:
- How to deal with a doctor who seems too busy to listen to you
- 8-Pillars to a Better Diagnosis
- How to tell the whole story of your illness
- Learning test risks and evaluating whether they're worth it
- How to get a working diagnosis at the end of every doctor's visit

By empowering patients to engage with their doctors as partners in their diagnosis, When Doctors Don't Listen is an essential guide that enables patients to speak up and take back control of their health care.

Author Biography

DR. LEANA WEN is an Attending Physician and Director of Patient-Centered Care Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine at George Washington University. Inspired by her own childhood illness and then her mother's long battle with cancer, Dr. Wen is passionate about guiding patients to advocate for better care. A former Rhodes Scholar and Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School, she has published dozens of articles on patient-doctor communication. She speaks around the world on patient empowerment and healthcare reform.

DR. JOSH KOSOWSKY is assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and the Clinical Director of the Brigham & Women’s Emergency Medicine Department. He is the author of over two dozen articles and textbook chapters, and is co-editor of Pocket Emergency Medicine.

Table of Contents

Introduction

PART I: How We Got Here
One: From Shamans to Black Boxes
Two: Do As I Say; Do As I Do

PART II: Cookbook Medicine— Live from the ER
Three: The Car Mechanic with the Pulled Muscle
Four: The Mother of Two Who Had Trouble Breathing
Five: The College Student with a Bad Headache
Six: The Woman Who Fainted at the Sight of a Sandwich

PART III: The Building Blocks to Avoid Misdiagnosis
Seven: A Crash Course on Diagnosis
Eight: Begin at the Beginning
Nine: What’s the Story?
Ten: What Does the Story Mean?
Eleven: Help Me Help You
Twelve: It’s Just Common Sense

PART IV: How to Get to the Right Diagnosis
Thirteen: The 8 Pillars to Better Diagnosis
Fourteen: Prescriptions for Patients
Fifteen: Cookbook Outcomes, Revisited

PART V: Prescription for Reform
Sixteen: Diagnosis, Multiplied
Seventeen: Countering the Skeptics

Conclusions
Appendix 1: Prescriptions for Healthcare Providers
Appendix 2: 21 Exercises Toward Better Diagnosis
Appendix 3: Worksheets Toward Your Diagnosis
Appendix 4: 911 Glossary of Key Terms