Listen, Already!

Ever watched the show, Mystery Diagnosis?
If you're a health care pro – you might just learn something! Here's the 411 on this show...

Generally, a person is having some type of medical problem. The issue gets worse, they go to see a doc, the problem continues to get worse, they go see another doc, repeat repeat repeat.

Finally, the person is seen by a doctor who correctly diagnosis the problem. Why didn't the first doc get a better handle on it? Almost inevitably, the doc who gives the final diagnosis does so because he/she has done something no one else has bothered to do: Listen!

One of the docs interviewed tonight gave his philosophy on treating patients. He said, "I like the patient to tell me everything they can that's been going on, almost like telling me a story. Every pain, every bit of sickness, every kind of fatigue – I want to hear it all."

Tonight, his diagnosis was of a rare liver disease which, if monitored closely and treated correctly, shouldn't be a great inhibitor of the patient's life. Left untreated, death was imminent.

Now, docs who can put two and two together are better than health care pros who cannot. This doc took all of about eight minutes with his patient until he had the correct diagnosis. He listened, he asked the right questions and those streams of thought led to an accurate diagnosis (one that ultimately saved the life of his patient.)

Big, BIG keys to patient care:

1. Listen

2. Ask the right questions

Easier said than done? Sure, but is there any other way?