Medical Mystery Solved By Looking at the Bigger Picture

Internists can be better problem solvers than medical specialists at solving complex health problems.

Specialists tend to see a very small portion of the problem, often not taking enough medical history to solve the mystery.

Symptoms in one part of the body may be the result of an infection in another.

Finding a physician who you can talk with and who listens is the key to proper diagnosis and treatment.

Do shorter hours for doctors equal better care for patients?

Can doctors focus on patient care and be well rested?

Would you feel safe going to the hospital knowing your doctor had 20 minutes of sleep over the past 24 hours?

“To be honest, I don’t really know if this is better or worse,” she said, recounting how she felt she was signing over responsibility for her patients more often than she ever imagined she would, missing key events in their hospital course and even getting dismissed during the middle of a patient’s operation in order to stay within the limits on work hours.

A changing medical system offers shorter workdays for physicians

Medical mistakes attributed to overworked doctors may soon become a thing of the past.

Physicians working in large medical groups are given the opportunity for more traditional 9 to 5 work hours.

“… many other young doctors are taking salaried jobs, working fewer hours, often going part time and even choosing specialties based on family reasons. The beepers and cellphones that once leashed doctors to their patients and practices on nights, weekends and holidays are being abandoned. Metaphorically, medicine has gone from being an individual to a team sport..”

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