Its not uncommon nowadays to see a patient & get this request of doing a scan.I am specifically talking here of a new patient who is visiting clinic for the first time.
Coming to a diagnosis is related to doing tests & scans & reports.
Are we treating a person or a patient or the scan ...I wonder.
One of my best teachers taught me "treat the patient..not the scan!"..
There is so much information to gather in history & clinical examination.
When i meet a new patient ,I try to give them time to talk & then start asking leading questions.If i feel the conversation is diversing,i try to bring them back to the purpose of their visit.
Since ENT is vast speciality -history is very important for further course of action i.e.investigations or treatment.
Just to give an example -my approach to a recurrent sorethroat & swallowing problem will be standard in any patient but if its a tobbacco user -in the first visit -i will do an endoscopy.
I cannot stress upon the importance of followup's.
Rather than getting all tests & scans done in one visit -it's better to follow up & further tests are done accordingly.
Again interpretation of the tests differ.I always insist on looking at the CT/MRI myself than reading the report.
Depending on the presentation of the patient the tests results are acted upon.For eg even a mild hearing loss in a school going child is significant than a similar report in a 60 year old.Again a unilateral or onesided hearing loss though mild in a 40 yr old needs follow up or scan.
What i am trying to say is -approach could differ in each patient though the symptom may sound similar.
The doctor patient relationship is very important.As i have mentioned in my previous blog-prepare yourself for a doctor visit.If you feel as a patient that enough time was not spent & doctor was busy-have another medium of approaching your doctor-may be email-whatever suits your doc!
Coming to a diagnosis is related to doing tests & scans & reports.
Are we treating a person or a patient or the scan ...I wonder.
One of my best teachers taught me "treat the patient..not the scan!"..
There is so much information to gather in history & clinical examination.
When i meet a new patient ,I try to give them time to talk & then start asking leading questions.If i feel the conversation is diversing,i try to bring them back to the purpose of their visit.
Since ENT is vast speciality -history is very important for further course of action i.e.investigations or treatment.
Just to give an example -my approach to a recurrent sorethroat & swallowing problem will be standard in any patient but if its a tobbacco user -in the first visit -i will do an endoscopy.
I cannot stress upon the importance of followup's.
Rather than getting all tests & scans done in one visit -it's better to follow up & further tests are done accordingly.
Again interpretation of the tests differ.I always insist on looking at the CT/MRI myself than reading the report.
Depending on the presentation of the patient the tests results are acted upon.For eg even a mild hearing loss in a school going child is significant than a similar report in a 60 year old.Again a unilateral or onesided hearing loss though mild in a 40 yr old needs follow up or scan.
What i am trying to say is -approach could differ in each patient though the symptom may sound similar.
The doctor patient relationship is very important.As i have mentioned in my previous blog-prepare yourself for a doctor visit.If you feel as a patient that enough time was not spent & doctor was busy-have another medium of approaching your doctor-may be email-whatever suits your doc!
