How Doctors Think

This evening's PBS News Hour featured an interview with Dr. Jerome Groopman about his new book How Doctors Think. The interview gives viewers a fascinating insight into the methodology of how doctors often go about making a diagnosis.

The premise of the book is that, according to Dr. Groopman, physicians are prone to quickly latching onto a specific diagnosis without taking the time (or being allowed to take the time) to consider other factors that could lead to a different conclusion. In the interview, Dr. Groopman details his own experience with misdiagnoses by multiple hand surgeons which would seem mildly humorous if it wasn't at the same time so disconcerting.

I've ordered the book and will post my reaction once I've completed it. The Amazon page dedicated to the book includes a Publisher's Weekly and Washington Post review.

You can download an audio podcast of the interview here. You can also view the video via streaming video on the PBS News Hour website.