Review by Booklist Review
Wilson, a medical doctor on the Yale faculty, eloquently shares his insights about the complicated U.S. healthcare system. Noting that the word "doctor" comes from the Latin word "docere," to teach, he ably instructs patients to think about medicine more like a stock investment than a miracle pill. ("There are no sure things.") Wilson cites an Institute of Medicine report, "To Err is Human," that estimates that about 98,000 Americans per year die of medical errors and notes that U.S. drug prices are the world's highest due in part to advertising costs (only the U.S. and New Zealand allow direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceutical products). Companies also try to extend patent protections for products like the anti-inflammatory Humira, the world's best-selling drug, so cheaper generics aren't available. He worries about social isolation and an epidemic of "deaths of despair," including suicides, drug overdoses and fatal consequences of alcoholism. Wilson comes across as a compassionate, empathetic physician who wants people to be able to trust medicine, which is both an "imperfect science and the single greatest force for good in the world today."
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"The most powerful force in Medicine is trust," writes physician Wilson in his standout debut. In recent years, thanks to a "seemingly unfeeling healthcare system," the steady erosion of people's trust in their doctors has pushed them, Wilson posits, toward "questionable medical practices" such as "cleanses" and miracle cures. Here, he does a fantastic job of fighting misinformation by explaining basic concepts in medicine and scientific research, and offering easy to digest explanations of biologic plausibility ("Is it plausible, within our current understanding of how the human body works, that eating celery reduces the risk of falls?"), correlation vs. causation, and the mechanism of randomized controlled trials. Wilson concludes with an impassioned plea for both patients and doctors: the former should "avoid believing something because you want it to be true or because it comes from someone you want to believe," while the latter can help earn back patients' trust by fighting for a reformed system that allows for more time with them. The result is a trenchant, empowering look at how to fix doctor-patient relationships. Agent: Howard Yoon, Ross Yoon Agency. (Jan.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Drawing on historical case studies and stories from his own practice, Yale physician/researcher Wilson explains why the doctor-patient relationship is now strained--owing mostly to healthcare corporations and Big Pharma--and how it can be rebuilt. In the meantime, he lets readers know how they can make the best possible decisions regarding healthcare. With a 40,000-copy first printing.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
There is a crisis of trust permeating the medical profession, according to this insightful book by a leading researcher. The practice of medicine is "a science of percentages, a science of intelligent guesses, a science of hedging bets," writes Wilson, director of Yale's Clinical and Translational Research Accelerator. "Medicine continues to evolve, with new discoveries overturning old beliefs, inching us closer to real truth." The problem is that many patients do not want reasonable guesses but immediate, sure-fire answers. The gap has been filled by alternative healers, naturopaths, and internet marketers who provide diagnoses and cures that range from the esoteric to the foolish. What they are really selling, Wilson suggests, is certainty, a desirable commodity in a chaotic world. Most of the "cures" are harmless, some help patients via the placebo effect, and a few are actually dangerous. Yet the public perception of practitioners of alternative medicine is above that of the pharmaceutical industry. "The marketing of foxglove extract, reiki and qigong is peaceful and patient-centric," writes the author. "And, of course, no one is paying $80,000 a year for Saint-John's-wort." Given these circumstances, Wilson argues persuasively that doctors should spend more time with patients instead of rushing them through as if on a conveyor belt. This would also give them the opportunity to explain the limitations of a proposed treatment. Equally, doctors should be ready to move away from drug-based solutions. Wilson sees an epidemic of "deaths of despair": drugs, alcoholism, and suicide, driven by isolation and loneliness. These cannot be addressed with pills; lifestyle changes are needed, which means building a trust relationship. Mixing hard data with personal anecdotes, Wilson sets out a convincing case, and he does not ignore the difficulties of making these changes. If nothing is done, the prognosis for the practice of medicine is grim. In an unstinting appraisal of the profession, Wilson effectively diagnoses the issues and looks for new paths forward. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
