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How refocusing conversations between doctors and their patients can lead to better healthDespite modern medicine's infatuation with high-tech gadgetry, the single most powerful diagnostic tool is the doctor-patient conversation, which can uncover the lion's share of illnesses. However, what patients say and what doctors hear are often two vastly different things.Patients, anxious to convey their symptoms, feel an urgency to "make their case" to their doctors. Doctors, under pressure to be efficient, multitask while patients speak and often miss the key elements. Add in stereotypes, unconscious bias, conflicting agendas, and the fear of lawsuits and the risk of misdiagnosis and medical errors multiplies dangerously.Though the gulf between what patients say and what doctors hear is often wide, Dr. Danielle Ofri proves that it doesn't have to be. Through the powerfully resonant human stories that Ofri is celebrated for, she explores the high-stakes world of doctor-patient communication that we all must navigate. Reporting on the latest research studies and interviewing scholars, doctors, and patients, Ofri reveals how better communication can lead to better health for all of us.



About the Author

Danielle Ofri

Danielle Ofri is a doctor at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. She is one of the foremost voices in the medical world today, shining an unflinching light on the realities of healthcare and speaking passionately about the doctor-patient relationship. Her newest book is "When We Do Harm: A Doctor Confronts Medical Error."Ofri is a regular contributor to the New York Times and is also the editor-in-chief of the Bellevue Literary Review. She lives in New York City and is determined to get through the Bach cello suites before she kicks the bucket.Here's her TED talk on Deconstructing Perfection: https://youtu.be/CaSv741GjlgAnd her TED talk on Fear, A Necessary Emotion: https://youtu.be/yToDJlfa_TcShe's also performed at The Moth: https://youtu.be/9h5lkiizC7MAll of Danielle Ofri's articles and events can be found at: www.danielleofri.comYou can get her monthly(ish) newsletter: https://danielleofri.com/subscribe/Twitter: @danielleofriFacebook: DanielleOfriMDInstagram: danielle_ofri(Photo Credits: Joon Park and John Abbot)



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