This situation begins many stories of medical or hospital malpractice. Doctors who go resolutely down the wrong road toward a wrong treatment or diagnosis, who don’t truly take the time to listen to what their patient or family is telling them. Nurses often don’t want to “bother” the doctor and sometimes let a patient’s condition deteriorate without notifying anyone.
The phrase doctors learn in medical school is “When yo hear hoofbeats, think ‘horses,’ not ‘zebras'” But it it’s a zebra, the patient may die if the doctor isn’t astute enough to catch it.
When your a patient, or if a loved one is a patient, make sure your doctors and nurses take the time to listen to your complaints. That’s an important part of getting the best medical care.
