(Snippets from the frontline)
The stethoscope: A symbol or a tool
The practice of medicine has become a lost art.
When assessing their patients, doctors commonly rely on technology in lieu of lessons taught in medical school. Technology costs money, and using basic techniques takes time, both of which are incompatible with business interests now involved in medicine.
It starts from the initial encounter with your primary care physician. There it is, around their neck…the stethoscope…a symbol of medical professionals. This is the only tool they bring other than their experience and intellectual background.
A stethoscope listens to the neck, lungs, heart, and abdomen…vital areas where problems arise. Sometimes its use may lead to a cause, if for instance an abnormal sound is heard in the neck that contributed to a stroke.
Observe your doctor during these initial moments. If they don’t spend time talking and examining you using their stethoscope, then figure they will rely on technology to make a diagnosis. Should this be the case, expect a hefty medical bill.
Adding time and using a stethoscope could save you, and even business, money.
Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.
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