What’s happened to curiosity in medicine? A story of two appointments.

If you’re a healthcare worker and your patient says they’re in pain, a medication isn’t working or something doesn’t seem right … listen to them. If what they’re saying seems “odd”… don’t dismiss them out of hand. Get curious. Ask questions. Listen to the patient.

The human body is incredible and unique. We all respond in different ways - and we learn more about the human condition every day. If something isn’t “adding up”… it could be a missed diagnosis.

Here’s one of my most frustrating examples:

I go to the doctor with a strange type of infection that is usually only seen in end stage AIDS patients.

Doctor: “Have you been tested for HIV?”

Me: “Yes - it was negative.”

Doctor: “huh. You sure? Let’s test you again.”

It comes back negative AGAIN

Me: “so what now?”

Doctor: “I don’t know. That’s really weird. Here’s the medication we would give you IF you had AIDS.”

That was IT. No follow up. Zero curiosity. No testing to determine WHY I had an infection only seen in AIDS patients when I did not have AIDS. Heck they wouldn’t even run an immune panel to take a closer look at my CD4 and CD8 count. It was just “sorry about your luck but this is not my problem.”

Contrast that with one of my BEST experiences with a VERY curious doctor:

I was there for suspected POTS which I was diagnosed with. In the process the cardiologist found an aneurysm and felt that given my age, lifestyle and persistently LOW blood pressure it was “odd” for me to have one.

She gave me a huge questionnaire of seemingly unrelated questions to fill out - about everything from dental issues to gynaecology and what I was like as a young child.

She reviewed the questionnaire with me and really took the time to LISTEN. We talked about previous illnesses, injuries, surgeries and how I felt in my body. I was treated like the expert - which had never happened before.

I left that appointment exhausted and stunned as it was the first time a doctor had worked so collaboratively with me. I was referred to genetics where I was finally given the diagnosis that put all the missing pieces together - EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome).

The signs had been there for years - but no one ever slowed down and spoke to me long enough to realize it. No one was curious enough. No one asked me what it was like to be in MY body.

It seems so simple - yet it’s a skill many healthcare workers lack.

My ask of them tonight is to listen to your patient. Let them be partners in their care. Respect that while they may not have a medical degree - they are the experts in their own body and can help you if you let them.

Be curious. Always.