Diagnosis

Diagnosis by Lisa Sanders M.D. (2019 Broadway Books softcover 292pp)

Lisa Sanders is a US doctor who has found some fame by writing a regular column for the New York Times. She also has advised on TV Shows Like “House” and last year a documentary series based on her work was released by Netflix. This book basically consists of her columns slightly re-edited and arranged into sections based on common symptom types. There are 6 or 7 chapters each section, each describing a different case and how it was resolved.

There’s nothing particularly wrong with the writing, its very straight forward and descriptive but somehow, I felt underwhelmed reading this book. I think each chapter’s origins as a column lets it down somewhat. No chapter is more than 5 pages long and after 3 or so pages are taken to set up the patient, their maladies and the central mystery, everything has to be resolved in a page and a half. Some of the stories could have done with a more in-depth treatment, it would have been more satisfying for the reader at least. Most of the chapters have a happy ending (apart from the odd death or unwelcome long-term consequence) but over all it does raise some questions about the US health system. Primary care doctors seem to be unwilling to listen to their patients or send them hundreds of miles away to see those better equipped. Most of the listed cases seem to be resolved by pure luck or even by their own research online.

The book is fine to dip in and out of but maybe avoid it if you have worries about your own health or that of someone else.