When patients consult
Grugle Thomas Grugle, MD The office visit is winding up. Having taken a careful history and
performed an appropriate physical examination, you turn to the
patient T
and ask, “Do you have any questions for me today?” he patient
pauses, looks a
little sheepish,
and says, “Well,
actually, I Googled
my symptoms
and it said this
might all be
gluten sensitivity. Do you think I might
have gluten intolerance? Too much
mercury in my fillings? My childhood
vaccinations making me sick? Maybe
I am just a highly chemically sensitive
person?”
Do you:
A. Say, “Nope,” and walk out
the door.
B. Tell the patient that those
are nursing questions and
make a mental note to give
your nurse an extra day off.
C. Say, “Let me Grugle that,”
and pull out this article for
a consultation.
18 Dallas Medical Journal November 2018
How best to handle this interaction
depends on the kind of patient who is
before you, and choosing the correct
response is crucial in maintaining the
alliance.
THE SCIENTIST
The Scientist is highly educated, works
as a professional in a technical but
nonmedical field, and knows that the
medical literature is vast. She knows
the difference between “google”
and “google scholar” and has her
references lined up.
take your cues from