The Good Doctor: Why Medical Uncertainty Matters

by Kenneth Brigham, Michael Johns, Elizaveta Rybakova (Translator)

Overview

Kenneth Brigham and Michael Jones have worked in the American healthcare system for many years. Based on their experience, they came to deep and accurate conclusions. For example, that treatment is better when the patient is meticulous, and his doctor does not consider himself infallible, and they communicate closely with each other. The authors give a lot of practical advice: is it possible to unconditionally trust medical recommendations, how to ask the right questions at the right time, what to expect from a hospital stay, and when to think about choosing another specialist. The book will be of interest to anyone who, due to circumstances, resorts to the help of doctors, as well as medical professionals who want to improve their professionalism and work with patients more efficiently.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9785961445633
Publisher:	Alpina Publisher
Publication date:	01/13/2023
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	222
File size:	1 MB
Language:	Russian

About the Author

Ken Brigham is Emory University emeritus professor of medicine. His medical education was at Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins and the University of California San Francisco. He has served in numerous leadership roles at the National Institutes of Health, has served as editor for several scientific publications, has edited three science books, and has published over four hundred original works in the scientific literature. He also served as president of the American Thoracic Society, the principal professional organization in his area of specialty. He served on the medical faculty at Vanderbilt for thirty-nine years before joining the Emory faculty in 2002. Most recently he was associate vice president for health affairs at Emory, a position from which he retired in 2012. Michael M.E. Johns is currently professor of medicine and public health at Emory University, where he served as chancellor from 2007 until 2012. His career at Emory began in 1996 when he was appointed executive vice president for health affairs, CEO of the Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center, and chairman of the Board of Emory Healthcare. He previously served as dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and vice president for medicine at Johns Hopkins University from 1990 to 1996. Dr. Johns received his bachelor's degree from Wayne State University and his medical degree with distinction at the University of Michigan Medical School. From 1977 to 1984 he was a faculty member at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. The recipient of numerous honors and awards, he is a member of the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) and has served in leadership positions in many organizations.

Table of Contents

Authors' Note 9

Prologue: What This Book Is About 11

Part I Some Basics

Chapter 1 The Doctor You Want (It's Not Who You Think) 15

Chapter 2 Uncertainty Is Essential to Personal Health Care 23

Chapter 3 Finding Your Doctor: A Field Guide 37

Chapter 4 Where Doctors Come From 47

Part II A Few Doctors' Maladies to Watch For … and Why

Chapter 5 The Yes-or-No Obsession 61

Chapter 6 The Infallibility Illusion 71

Chapter 7 The "Poor Me" Syndrome 83

Part III Some Things That Your Doctor Should Know … and Why They Matter

Chapter 8 The Difference between "Facts" and Facts 95

Chapter 9 Information Is Not Necessarily Knowledge 109

Chapter 10 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Statistics 121

Chapter 11 Don't Believe Everything You Read, No Matter Where You Read It 133

Part IV Some Things to Expect from Your Doctor

Chapter 12 Your Story Is Front and Center-Narrative-Based Medicine 147

Chapter 13 An Expert Escort from Guidelines to Protocols 161

Chapter 14 The Benefits of Ignorance 171

Chapter 15 The Laying On of Hands 181

Part V Fears and Hopes for the New Medicine

Chapter 16 The Fear of a Tyranny of Experts and Sensors 193

Chapter 17 The Hope for a Digitally Powered Doctor 205

Epilogue

An Optimist's Dream 215

Some Observations on the "New" Medicine 216

Notes 219

Editorial Reviews

"A wonderful exploration into the nature of uncertainty in medicine and diagnosis. Medical care is at its best when the interaction between doctor and patient is collaborative; this book written by two preeminent physicians with deep insights into the profession gives us as patients great tools to be empowered." —Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone

"The Good Doctor should be required reading for anyone going into medicine." —Daniel Barrow, Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery, Emory University

"Every American could benefit from this roadmap to navigate health care for themselves and their loved ones. Drs. Brigham and Johns, two highly respected giants in medicine, present an honest analysis of health care today." —Marty Makary, MD, Johns Hopkins professor and author of The Price We Pay

"As recent world events have shown, even the most experienced doctors are constantly being confronted with daunting new challenges. This field guide to modern medicine explores how uncertainty can fuel innovation—and reminds us why we’re better off choosing a physician who asks the right questions than one who has all the answers.” —Alex Gorsky, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Johnson & Johnson

“In my fifty years as a doctor, I’ve not read as engrossing, wise, and important a nonfiction book about the practice of medicine. These two experienced and sage clinicians, in a vibrant partnership, have cut to the core of what makes a good doctor, which is 'Not Who You Think.' The key is to hold and use uncertainty, which leads to the healer’s goal: to be human in medicine. Bravo.” —Samuel Shem, Professor of Medicine at NYU, author of Man’s 4th Best HospitalThe House of God

“When it comes to health, making the right choices are important. So too, when choosing a doctor. In The Good Doctor Drs. Brigham and Johns share their insights regarding what are the characteristics to seek and to avoid when choosing a physician. Replete with illustrative stories, they share their perspectives gained through decades as practicing physicians at leading major medical institutions and their personal experiences as patients. They have combined their deep understanding of the current realities of medicine with the timeless truth that medicine is a person-to-person interaction to author this balanced and timely guide for all interested in choosing the 'right' physician.“ —James O. Woolliscroft, MD, MACP, FRCP, Lyle C. Roll Professor of Medicine, Professor of Internal Medicine and Learning Health Sciences, and Dean Emeritus, University of Michigan Medical School

From the Publisher