Guardian: Listening to patients

From my experience doctors listening to patients (or taking some notice of symptoms) could help diagnose a lot.

Sure, but diagnosis has to depend on symptoms that discriminate between one diagnosis and another and that often has nothing to do with what the patient thinks is important. This seems to have been based on diagnosing neuropsychiatric lupus - which is weird - and that has pretty much nothing to do with 'patient experiences'. It is usually more to do with identifying pointers to psychotic mental changes, checking the blood pressure (which is almost always raised in CNS lupus) and checking blood tests and urine for protein.

Good medical practice is all about taking a detailed history. At the moment we have crap practice, especially in GP, because the system is falling apart. Interpreting this as a Guardianny issue about 'lived experience' or whatever helps nobody to my mind.
 
Back
Top Bottom