York County Medicine Summer 2020 - 13

YO R K C O M E D S O C . O R G

of influenza, which is why the CDC recommends immunization for
all pregnant women as a high-risk group. But for many patients, the
fact that I have personally witnessed this, it changes it from a fact
to be tossed off, to a very real story less easily dismissed. The intent
is not to scare a patient into acquiescing to my recommendation,
but to make a fearsome disease more real to her. Bioethicists have
called this a "nudge," and most think that it is ethically permissible
when moving the patient toward our recommendation offers them
significant benefit.
My point here is counterintuitive, but I believe it to be true,
nonetheless. We need to regain our trusted status as experts in
medicine, and talking with our patients about our own experiences,
sharing our stories, is one way to do this that is particularly effective.
We have been taught to distrust anecdotes in medicine but using
personal narratives to illuminate the evidence for our patients is not
the same as practicing anecdotal medicine.

Not only do we owe this responsibility to our patients, but we
also owe it to the public. Now more than ever, physicians need to
remember to tell their own stories and describe their experiences
with this pandemic-verbally, on social media, or in Op-Ed pages.
The public does not see what we have seen, and it is the voices of
healthcare professionals that have convinced many skeptics that this
pandemic is both real and not yet over.
Kathryn Montgomery Hunter, in her book Doctors' Stories,
adds another element to this advice. First, listen to the patient and
never dismiss their story. Find a way, whenever possible, to weave
the patient narrative into the medical narrative and end with one
unified story that incorporates both.
We are medical experts; we need to become better storytellers.
Paul D. Burcher, MD, PHD
Incoming President, York County Medical Society

LESS INFECTIONS,
GREATER CARE.

WE DON'T SEE EVERYDAY ILLNESSES.

As the leading provider of the area's most comprehensive orthopaedic and spine care, we do not see everyday
illnesses like the regular hospitals and urgent cares. OSS Orthopaedic Hospital is consistently recognized for
patient safety and infection control, while delivering top quality care and patient experience.

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SUMMER 2020 | York County Medicine

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York County Medicine Summer 2020

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