Perfection doesn't really exist. For example, this town was created in Photoshop.
KevinMD – A couple weeks ago, author and blogger, Dave deBronkart discussed the uncertainty and frustration surrounding patient diagnosis, stating “People who want certainty – physicians or patients – are kidding themselves. And if we expect docs to be perfect, it’s a setup for dysfunction”. DeBronkart himself is a cancer survivor with a 50% chance of the cancer returning. In this article, he discusses how so many things in science and medicine are rooted in uncertainty and suggests that is something patients and physicians alike should accept. deBronkart then asks, “What do you do in the face of uncertainty? How many sources do you check before you decide to move forward?” and proposes the following: “Science keeps pushing toward certainty, and disease doesn’t wait. Perhaps if we acknowledged the difficulty of diagnosis, and if more physicians were allowed and willing in our culture to express doubt, patient questions would be welcome and we could work more collaboratively.”
Our take: We all want our doctor to be perfect. We expect her to have the latest information at the ready. And for the most part, we don’t want to have to double-check her work. Yet the speed of research easily outpaces the ability of most doctors to keep up. Hundreds of new studies are published each month. And for anybody who is not a sub-sub-sub specialist, the breadth of this knowledge expansion far outstrips the time dedicated to continuing education. E-Dave is right. We need to acknowledge the difficulty of diagnosis, encourage providers to express doubt on the edges of their knowledge, and hop in with two feet to do our own homework where needed. And if you like this piece, check out e-Dave’s fascinating story right here on Engaging the Patient.
