Misdiagnosis Or Wrong Calls By Jerome Groopman

In any profession, a risk presents itself in many ways. It can be directly from those who do or do not seek help. Doubt, skepticism, and hesitation are factors that destroy the trust a patient has in their doctor. Jerome Groopman and Perri Klass wrote reflective novels on misdiagnosis or “wrong calls” and much more in medicine. Short readings by Rudyard Kipling and Dhruv Khullar further define the distinction between a physician and a patient. Misdiagnosis in these cases can happen under pressure, lack of sleep, and how compatible the personalities of the patient and the doctor are. Every case and patient comes with a lingering unpredictability. Identifying as an African American woman who receives treatment in America makes me susceptible

This demonstrates unintentional, but very present bias of stereotypical careers for specific genders. Groopman means well and shows through interviews along with his book that he’s capable of educating himself to use more inclusive pronouns when describing or discussing the medical field. But other physicians refuse to become capable of such and share that unconscious bias that Groopman

Groopman does acknowledge that every patient is different and comes with a varying amount of complications, but unanswered questions that lead to patients having no option but to go back home are where trust between the patient and physician falters and fractures. A man visited his physician on the command of his wife after showing signs of drunken behavior. Never drinking before, the patient was confused, but his physician had no answers for him. The patient was stopped by the police a few days after that appointment on his drive home from work. After blowing into a breathalyzer, he was arrested. He was above the legal alcohol-level driving limit. It turned out that he had Auto-Brewery Syndrome, whereupon consuming carbohydrates fermentation in the stomach would produce ethanol causing him to become drunk. The dangers of misdiagnosis presented themselves in that instance. Living under misdiagnosis puts lives on the line. The man had to accept his reality of not knowing what caused him to behave in such a way, and he couldn’t afford specialists. The cost of healthcare deters individuals from receiving treatment like a diagnosis. The awareness that society now has, that doctors don’t have all the answers, makes current and future patients susceptible to never the field of healthcare as a resource to handle any