At the University of Chicago, during the first year, medical students are required to take a course titled “The Doctor-Patient Relationship” which delves into topics such as informed consent and shared decision making. Day 2 highlighted the importance of shared decision making, and how it should be a two-way street; today reminded me of the doctor-patient relationship and how it can dictate patient outcome. I particularly liked the “Please See Me” YouTube video that Dave played at the end of the session. The clip showed a patient and doctor standing onstage, delivering a beautiful slam poetry-style speech, sometimes in unison, sometimes in conversation. I think doctors and patients forget sometimes to see each other as human beings; too often doctors reduce patients to mere symptoms and lab results, while patients view doctors as infallible creatures that can fix all of their problems. It was humbling to listen to the raw… Continue reading →

Through out the day, I couldn’t help but keep thinking about the importance of communication between the healthcare team and the patients that they serve. If there is no transparency, patients and their loved ones (even those well-versed with the medical system) feel like they are left in the dark — during the most stressful time of their lives, they have the added burden of trying to figure out what it is their doctors, nurses, and auxiliary team are actually doing. Lewis Blackman’s story is powerful in that it illustrates the importance of honesty. Watching the video left me with so many ‘if; statements. If the resident or intern working with the nurses had taken pause to discuss Lewis’s worsening condition, could this all have been avoided? What if the doctors and nurses had been more upfront about their lack of understanding of Lewis’s situation? What if Helen… Continue reading →