Comments on: The stethoscope as stole or placebo http://sasquare.com/?p=170 ...travelling but never arriving Tue, 10 Aug 2010 04:43:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: SA http://sasquare.com/?p=170#comment-59 SA Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:36:36 +0000 http://sasquare.com/?p=170#comment-59 Thank you very much Dr Papagiannis for your once again pithy comment. The use of the stethoscope has always fascinatied me, especially how it is perceived by the patient. In my early days as a green preregistration house officer back home in Nigeria, whenever I saw a patient without using the sthetoscope and try to reassure them that all is well, I often heard the complaint: "But doctor, you have not tested me." And I would ask, "What do you mean by testing you? I've talked to you, discussed with the nurses and had a look at your charts and you are fine." And the patient answers back: "The stethoscope." It was not long before I learnt to always use the sthetoscope on every patient in out patient clinics and whenever I'm called to see or review a patient. Thank you very much Dr Papagiannis for your once again pithy comment. The use of the stethoscope has always fascinatied me, especially how it is perceived by the patient. In my early days as a green preregistration house officer back home in Nigeria, whenever I saw a patient without using the sthetoscope and try to reassure them that all is well, I often heard the complaint: “But doctor, you have not tested me.” And I would ask, “What do you mean by testing you? I’ve talked to you, discussed with the nurses and had a look at your charts and you are fine.” And the patient answers back: “The stethoscope.” It was not long before I learnt to always use the sthetoscope on every patient in out patient clinics and whenever I’m called to see or review a patient.

]]> By: Anthony Papagiannis http://sasquare.com/?p=170#comment-58 Anthony Papagiannis Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:02:36 +0000 http://sasquare.com/?p=170#comment-58 Thank you for bringing my remark to the fore. I would contend that it is not just how WE use our stethoscope, but also how OTHERS interpret our use of it. I do not wear a white coat in the hospital I work in, but I always carry my stethoscope draped over my neck. Patients and visitors immediately know me as a doctor, though I could easily be a bold and confident impostor. I may or may not apply the stethoscope on every patient I see in my rounds, but I know it is usually anticipated: it is part of the "laying-on of hands" in medicine. Its use builds confidence and establishes rapport between the patient and me, even when it does not significantly promote my clinical knowledge. As long as I am aware of its limitations, I hope it will continue to serve me well in its dual capacity. Thank you for bringing my remark to the fore. I would contend that it is not just how WE use our stethoscope, but also how OTHERS interpret our use of it. I do not wear a white coat in the hospital I work in, but I always carry my stethoscope draped over my neck. Patients and visitors immediately know me as a doctor, though I could easily be a bold and confident impostor. I may or may not apply the stethoscope on every patient I see in my rounds, but I know it is usually anticipated: it is part of the “laying-on of hands” in medicine. Its use builds confidence and establishes rapport between the patient and me, even when it does not significantly promote my clinical knowledge. As long as I am aware of its limitations, I hope it will continue to serve me well in its dual capacity.

]]> By: David Admin http://sasquare.com/?p=170#comment-55 David Admin Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:08:37 +0000 http://sasquare.com/?p=170#comment-55 Hi, Dr Nolan blog about "What does you stethoscope say about you" on BMJ's community site doc2doc. http://ow.ly/wNjs David Hi,

Dr Nolan blog about “What does you stethoscope say about you” on BMJ’s community site doc2doc.

http://ow.ly/wNjs

David

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