Social Issues in Diagnosis

Annemarie Jutel is a leading scholar on the social aspects of medical diagnosis. In this volume, she and Kevin Dew bring together a fascinating array of chapters that shed new light on myriad aspects of diagnosis. The book will be of value to social scientists, students and clinicians. -- Peter Conrad, Brandeis University, author of The Medicalization of Society: On the Transformation of Human Conditions into Treatable Disorders Amidst a renaissance of interest in the art and science of diagnosis in medicine, Social Issues in Diagnosis is like a breath of fresh air. For the first time, the diagnostic process is considered from a sociologic perspective, offering unique, comprehensive, and authoritative insights. Enlightening reading for patients and physicians alike. -- Mark L. Graber, Senior Fellow, RTI International, Professor Emeritus, SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine, Founder and President, Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine Diagnosis is the foundation of medical care. In this excellent book, the authors engage us to consider what diagnosis means for society, and how society, in turn, influences diagnosis and care provision. An important addition to the medical literature, and a must-read for all healthcare providers. -- Leana Wen, M.D., attending physician and Director, Patient-Centered Care Research, Department of Emergency Medicine, George Washington University, author of When Doctors Don't Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests An interesting, at times provocative, treatment of social issues relevant to the diagnostic process and of the many important interfaces between the social sciences and clinical medicine. This will be a useful addition to the armamentarium of resources for those studying the diagnostic process and its failures. -- Pat Croskerry, MD, PhD, FRCP(Edin), Department of Emergency Medicine, Director, Critical Thinking Program, Division of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University

Sociology and pre-med students, especially those prepping for the new MCAT section on social and behavioral sciences, will appreciate the discussion questions, glossary of key terms, and CLASSIFY mnemonic.Diagnosis, the classification tool of medicine, serves an important social role. It confers social status on those who diagnose, and it impacts the social status of those diagnosed. Studying diagnosis from a sociological perspective offers clinicians and students a rich and sometimes provocative view of medicine and the cultures in which it is practiced. Social Issues in Diagnosis describes how diagnostic labels and the process of diagnosis are anchored in groups and structures as much as they are in the interactions between patient and doctor. The sociological perspective is informative, detailed, and different from what medical, nursing, social work, and psychology students - and other professionals who diagnose or work with diagnoses - learn in a pathophysiology or clinical assessment course. It is precisely this difference that should be integral to student and clinician education, enriching the professional experience with improved doctor-patient relationships and potentially better health outcomes. Chapters are written by both researchers and educators and reviewed by medical advisors. Just as medicine divides disease into diagnostic categories, so have the editors classified the social aspects of diagnosis into discrete areas of reflection, including: Classification of illness; Process of diagnosis; Phenomenon of uncertainty; Diagnostic labels; Discrimination; Challenges to medical authority; Medicalization; Technological influences; and Self-diagnosis. Additional chapters by clinicians, including New York Times columnist Lisa Sanders, M.D., provide a view from the front line of diagnosis to round out the discussion. Sociology and premed students, especially those prepping for the new MCAT section on social and behavioral sciences, will appreciate the discussion questions, glossary of key terms, and classify mnemonic.