Just had a conversation with my partner (who’s studying to be a PA) about the diminishing focus on treating the human condition in our patients in medicine as a whole.

Let’s talk about that.

Medicine, in the modern age, is a well regimented, evidenced based practice 1/?

This isn’t a bad thing. However, we’ve lost being tradesmen at almost every level. The trade of medicine has been superseded by the science and business of medicine. There’s so little focus on “what lead this patient to be here?” from a non-clinical perspective. 2/?

Yes, smoking two packs a day for thirty years is why a 60 year old man with lung cancer is in your office. What lead him there? Why did he start smoking in the first place? Why did he get a seemingly innocuous cough checked out? Why is he so dismissive, but still showing up? 3/?

He worked for years in a steel mill, where the only escape from the overwhelming 120+ degree heat was lunch and a smoke break. His daughter, a nurse, was visiting with his granddaughter the second day of this cough. He went for a check up because his granddaughter worried. 4/?

I mean, who can say “it’s fine” to the little girl who’s always excited to see them when they’re not sure? He’s a hard worker, he was the foreman at the mill. He’s used to being depended on, not needing help. He resents that he needs help. He’ll still show up though. 5/?

People depend on him, after all. He’s still got a lot of life to live, in his mind.

As a medical care provider...all of that is important. All of that information? That’s CRUCIAL to successful long term care of that patient. You cannot do the best job without it. 6/?

Talk to your patients about these things. Empower them. Remind them that they’re a human and that you’re a human and you’re both doing your best. That you’re depending on them to get better as much as they’re depending on you to treat them. 7:?

Never forget that at the end of the day we aren’t just treating symptoms and applying the current best practices as backed up by scientific research. We’re treating humans, who have to live the human condition, same as us. They deserve empathy and understanding. That’s all. 8/8