2 - Dr. Chen writes: Over the last century and a half, however, medicine has increasingly decoupled disease from the individual. This decoupling has given rise to the concept of precise, objective and quantifiable diagnoses, diagnoses so separate from patients that they seem in many ways to take on a life of their own…. When we know what is wrong, we sometimes stop paying such close attention to those patient experiences that seem to have little relevance to the diagnosis at hand. We focus less on the individual and more on the diagnosis.
3 - To read more, check out today’s fascinating “Doctor and Patient” column: “
The Tyranny of Diagnosis.” Have you been frustrated by the medical community’s inability to diagnose your ailment? Did your care improve once doctors were able to put a label on your problems? Please join Dr. Chen in the discussion by sharing your thoughts and experiences below.