Leana Wen: What your doctor won’t disclose

TED
13 Nov 201415:47

Summary

TLDREl guion narra la historia de una médica inmigrante que enfrenta acusaciones de traición por sus colegas tras promover la transparencia en la medicina. Experiencias personales y la enfermedad de su madre la impulsaron a cuestionar prácticas médicas y abogar por una mayor honestidad en la relación médico-paciente. A pesar de la oposición y amenazas, inicia una campaña llamada '¿Quién es mi médico?' que busca revelar conflictos de interés y valores médicos para fortalecer la confianza y mejorar la atención. La charla refleja el miedo y desconfianza en el ámbito médico y la necesidad de superarlo a través de la transparencia y honestidad.

Takeaways

  • 😢 La narradora enfrenta acusaciones de traición y amenazas debido a sus opiniones en el ámbito médico.
  • 🌟 Su sueño de ser médica se forjó en la infancia, inspirada por su experiencia con una doctora cariñosa y humorística en China.
  • 📚 La narradora y su familia emigraron a los EE. UU., donde su familia trabajó duro para permitirle perseguir su sueño.
  • 😷 La revelación de que su madre tenía cáncer avanzado y la conexión con la industria farmacéutica de su oncologista erosionaron la confianza en el sistema médico.
  • 🤔 La confianza en el médico es crucial y la falta de ella lleva al miedo y a dudas en el proceso de atención médica.
  • 👨‍⚕️ El miedo también afecta a los médicos, quienes a menudo se esfuerzan por mantener una barrera emocional y de información con los pacientes.
  • 🔍 Un estudio de la narradora muestra que los pacientes quieren saber más sobre los valores y conflictos de interés de sus médicos antes de establecer una relación de confianza.
  • 🏥 Inicia una campaña llamada '¿Quién es mi médico?' que promueve la transparencia total en la medicina, incluyendo la divulgación de conflictos de interés y valores.
  • 📉 La campaña generó un gran rechazo y críticas en la comunidad médica, con algunos médicos temiendo la pérdida de privacidad y el estigmatización.
  • 🌱 A pesar de la resistencia, la narradora insiste en la importancia de la transparencia para restaurar la confianza y mejorar la atención médica.
  • 🤝 La transparencia puede ser un punto de unión entre los médicos y los pacientes, fomentando relaciones más profundas y efectivas en el tratamiento de la enfermedad.

Q & A

  • ¿Por qué recibió la narradora críticas de su profesión?

    -La narradora fue criticada por su profesión porque alguien la acusó de ser una traidor a su propia profesión, sugiriendo que debería ser despedida, perder su licencia médica y regresar a su país de origen.

  • ¿Cómo describió la narradora su experiencia de infancia con la asma y su médico?

    -La narradora creció en China y sufría de asma grave, lo que la llevaba al hospital casi cada semana. Su médico, Dr. Sam, era una figura materna y alegre que siempre la cuidaba, utilizando chistes para hacerla sentir mejor.

  • ¿Qué evento de la vida de la narradora marcó un cambio en su perspectiva sobre la medicina?

    -El cambio en la perspectiva de la narradora sobre la medicina ocurrió cuando su madre enfermó de cáncer de mama en etapa IV, lo cual se propagó a sus pulmones, huesos y cerebro.

  • ¿Cómo afectó la revelación de que el oncologista de su madre tenía vínculos con una compañía farmacéutica en la confianza de su madre en su tratamiento?

    -La revelación hizo que la madre de la narradora se sintiera asustada y dudar de su tratamiento, ya que descubrió que el oncologista había recibido pagos de la compañía farmacéutica para hablar en favor del mismo régimen de quimioterapia que le había prescrito.

  • ¿Qué lecciones aprendió la narradora sobre el miedo y la confianza en la medicina durante su formación como médica?

    -La narradora aprendió que el miedo y la falta de confianza pueden afectar negativamente la relación médico-paciente y que, para ser un buen médico, se debe poner la bata blanca, construir un muro y esconderse detrás de él.

  • ¿Qué es la campaña '¿Quién es mi médico?' que la narradora inició y qué busca lograr?

    -La campaña '¿Quién es mi médico?' busca la total transparencia en la medicina, donde los médicos participan voluntariamente en revelar información sobre sus conflictos de interés, formaciones, especialidades y valores en un sitio web público.

  • ¿Cómo reaccionaron algunos médicos a la iniciativa de transparencia propuesta por la narradora?

    -La reacción de algunos médicos fue negativa, con comentarios que van desde la preocupación por su privacidad hasta el rechazo a la idea de tener que revelar sus conflictos de interés y valores personales.

  • ¿Qué consecuencias enfrentó la narradora tras el lanzamiento de su campaña de transparencia?

    -Después de lanzar la campaña, la narradora enfrentó una gran oposición, incluyendo amenazas de ser despedida, recibir correos con amenazas y comentarios negativos en foros médicos en línea.

  • ¿Qué es la 'enfermedad del miedo' que menciona la narradora y cómo afecta la atención médica?

    -La 'enfermedad del miedo' se refiere al miedo que sienten tanto los médicos como los pacientes, lo que lleva a la desconfianza y a un cuidado médico deficiente. La narradora argumenta que la transparencia puede ser una cura para este miedo.

  • ¿Cómo describe la narradora la importancia de la transparencia en el establecimiento de confianza en la relación médico-paciente?

    -La narradora argumenta que la transparencia es fundamental para establecer confianza, ya que permite a los pacientes conocer a sus médicos y sus valores, lo que a su vez mejora los resultados de la atención médica y reduce la posibilidad de demandas por malpraxis.

  • ¿Qué experiencia personal tuvo la narradora que demuestra las consecuencias de la falta de transparencia y confianza en la medicina?

    -La narradora comparte la experiencia de tener que tomar la decisión de no someter a su madre a un tratamiento invasivo en contra de sus deseos expresados en los documentos de salud avanzada, lo que fue una decisión difícil debido a la presión de otros médicos y su propia lucha interna.

Outlines

00:00

😢 Persecución y sueños de un médico

El médico narra cómo enfrentó acusaciones de traición por parte de sus colegas, incluyendo amenazas y hackeos a su cuenta de correo electrónico, solo por expresar sus opiniones. Recuerda su infancia en China y cómo su deseo de ser médico fue influenciado por su experiencia con la asma y su doctora, Dr. Sam. La historia familiar de inmigrantes y su lucha por alcanzar el sueño americano se entrelaza con el desafío de enfrentar el cáncer de mama de su madre y las dudas surgidas al descubrir la relación de su oncólogo con una compañía farmacéutica.

05:01

🤔 La desconexión entre médicos y pacientes

El médico explora la desconexión y el miedo que existe entre los pacientes y los médicos, ilustrado con experiencias personales y de otros, como el rechazo a la participación de los padres en las rondas de la cama y la resistencia a la transparencia. Expone la idea de que los médicos también tienen miedo y cómo este miedo puede afectar la atención médica, sugiriendo que la transparencia podría ser una solución al problema de la desconfianza y el miedo en la medicina.

10:06

🔍 La importancia de la transparencia en la medicina

Se describe un estudio de investigación que el médico realizó junto con estudiantes de medicina para entender qué información quieren los pacientes conocer sobre sus médicos. Los hallazgos muestran que los pacientes desean saber si sus médicos son competentes, sin sesgo y si comparten sus valores en temas de salud. A partir de estos hallazgos, el médico inicia una campaña llamada '¿Quién es mi médico?' que promueve la transparencia total en la medicina, incluyendo la divulgación pública de conflictos de interés y valores médicos, a pesar de la oposición y críticas de otros médicos.

15:09

💪 La lucha por la transparencia y su impacto

El médico narra cómo la campaña '¿Quién es mi médico?' generó un gran respaldo de la comunidad de pacientes y algunos médicos, a pesar de las amenazas y la presión para que dejara el movimiento. Comparte su experiencia personal y la de otros médicos que han adoptado la transparencia, destacando cómo esto ha fortalecido las relaciones con los pacientes y ha mejorado la práctica médica. Argumenta que la transparencia puede ser un medio para superar el miedo y establecer una confianza más profunda entre médicos y pacientes.

🌟 El poder de la vulnerabilidad en la medicina

En el último párrafo, el médico reflexiona sobre la importancia de la vulnerabilidad y la humildad en la práctica médica. Expresa que al mostrarse completamente abiertos y disponibles para los pacientes, los médicos pueden superar el miedo y establecer una relación de confianza. Pide a los médicos que se quiten las máscaras y se acerquen a sus pacientes de una manera más humana, transformando así el paradigma de la medicina hacia una que es completamente abierta y comprometida con el bienestar de los pacientes.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Traición

La palabra 'traición' se refiere a la acción de ser leal a una causa o grupo opuesto al que uno representa. En el video, el narrador menciona que ha sido acusado de traidor a su propia profesión, lo que indica un conflicto de intereses o una desviación de los valores profesionales esperados.

💡Licencia Médica

La 'licencia médica' es el permiso otorgado a un profesional de la salud para ejercer su profesión. En el contexto del video, se sugiere que el narrador podría perder su licencia médica debido a las acusaciones y el escrutinio que enfrenta, lo que resalta la gravedad de la situación.

💡Confianza

La 'confianza' es fundamental en la relación médico-paciente y se refleja en la capacidad de un paciente para creer en la honestidad y competencia de su médico. El video destaca cómo la pérdida de confianza puede llevar al miedo y a decisiones cuestionables en la atención médica.

💡Transparencia

La 'transparencia' implica la claridad y la disponibilidad de información, en este caso, sobre la práctica médica y las decisiones de los médicos. El video presenta la transparencia como una solución al miedo y a la desconfianza, promoviendo la divulgación de conflictos de interés y valores personales de los médicos.

💡Médico

Un 'médico' es un profesional de la salud capacitado para diagnósticar, tratar y prevenir enfermedades. El video narra la historia del narrador, quien desde su infancia aspiraba a ser médico, y luego enfrenta desafíos éticos y profesionales en su carrera.

💡Cáncer de Mama

El 'cáncer de mama' es un tipo de cáncer que se desarrolla en los tejidos del seno. En el video, la madre del narrador es diagnosticada con esta enfermedad en una etapa avanzada, lo que desencadena una serie de eventos que ponen de manifiesto problemas en la comunicación y la ética en la medicina.

💡Inmunología

La 'inmunología' es la rama de la biología médica que estudia el sistema inmunológico. Aunque no se menciona directamente en el video, la inmunología es crucial en el tratamiento del cáncer, incluido el cáncer de mama, y subraya la importancia de la ciencia y la evidencia en la toma de decisiones médicas.

💡Error Médico

Un 'error médico' se refiere a un fallo en el proceso de atención médica que puede resultar en daño al paciente. El video sugiere que la transparencia en la medicina, incluyendo la discusión de errores médicos, puede mejorar la confianza del paciente y los resultados de la salud.

💡Cuidado Paliativo

El 'cuidado paliativo' se enfoca en aliviar el sufrimiento y mejorar la calidad de vida de los pacientes con enfermedades graves. El video ilustra la importancia de respetar las decisiones del paciente en el contexto del cuidado paliativo, especialmente en relación con las directivas avanzadas.

💡Modelo de Enfermedad

El 'modelo de enfermedad' es un enfoque teórico para entender la causa, el desarrollo y el tratamiento de las enfermedades. El video menciona la transición del modelo infeccioso al modelo comportamental de enfermedad, lo que indica la necesidad de abordar factores de estilo de vida y la importancia de la confianza en la relación médico-paciente.

💡Pacto de Transparencia

El 'pacto de transparencia' es un compromiso asumido por los médicos para revelar públicamente su información financiera y sus valores personales. En el video, esta iniciativa es presentada como un medio para fortalecer la confianza y la relación entre los médicos y los pacientes, y como un paso hacia una práctica médica más abierta y comprometida.

Highlights

El doctor enfrenta acusaciones de traición a su profesión y amenazas por su activismo.

La experiencia personal del doctor con la asma y su inspiración por el Dr. Sam durante su infancia en China.

La transformación del sueño de ser médico del narrador a una realidad a través del apoyo de sus padres inmigrantes.

El diagnóstico de cáncer de mama en etapa IV de la madre del doctor y su proceso de tratamiento.

La revelación de conflictos de interés del oncóloga de la madre, desencadenante de duda y miedo.

La importancia de la confianza en la relación médico-paciente y cómo la falta de ella lleva al miedo.

El miedo y la desconexión entre los médicos y los pacientes como una epidemia oculta en la medicina.

La propuesta del doctor de transparencia total en la medicina para combatir el miedo y la desconfianza.

El estudio de investigación sobre lo que quieren saber los pacientes sobre su atención médica.

Los tres deseos de los pacientes sobre conocimientos de sus médicos: competencia, imparcialidad y valores compartidos.

La campaña 'Who's My Doctor?' que promueve la transparencia en la medicina y el desafío que representa.

Las reacciones negativas de algunos médicos a la campaña de transparencia y las amenazas recibidas por el doctor.

El apoyo inesperado de los pacientes a través de las redes sociales que motiva al doctor a continuar.

El ejemplo del Dr. Sam como símbolo de la confianza y la proximidad en la relación médico-paciente.

La experiencia traumática del doctor con la muerte de su madre y la lucha por respetar sus deseos de cuidados paliativos.

La evidencia de que la transparencia y la confianza mejoran los resultados de la salud y reducen demandas de responsabilidad civil.

Las testimonios de médicos que han adoptado la transparencia y han mejorado sus relaciones con los pacientes.

El mensaje final del doctor sobre la importancia de la transparencia para superar el miedo y cambiar la práctica médica.

Transcripts

play00:13

They told me that I'm a traitor to my own profession,

play00:17

that I should be fired,

play00:19

have my medical license taken away,

play00:21

that I should go back to my own country.

play00:26

My email got hacked.

play00:28

In a discussion forum for other doctors,

play00:31

someone took credit for "Twitter-bombing" my account.

play00:35

Now, I didn't know if this was a good or bad thing,

play00:38

but then came the response:

play00:40

"Too bad it wasn't a real bomb."

play00:44

I never thought that I would do something

play00:46

that would provoke this level of anger among other doctors.

play00:50

Becoming a doctor was my dream.

play00:52

I grew up in China,

play00:53

and my earliest memories are of being rushed to the hospital

play00:57

because I had such bad asthma that I was there nearly every week.

play01:01

I had this one doctor, Dr. Sam, who always took care of me.

play01:04

She was about the same age as my mother.

play01:06

She had this wild, curly hair,

play01:08

and she always wore these bright yellow flowery dresses.

play01:12

She was one of those doctors who,

play01:13

if you fell and you broke your arm,

play01:16

she would ask you why you weren't laughing

play01:18

because it's your humerus. Get it?

play01:22

See, you'd groan,

play01:24

but she'd always make you feel better after having seen her.

play01:27

Well, we all have that childhood hero

play01:29

that we want to grow up to be just like, right?

play01:32

Well, I wanted to be just like Dr. Sam.

play01:35

When I was eight, my parents and I moved to the U.S.,

play01:39

and ours became the typical immigrant narrative.

play01:41

My parents cleaned hotel rooms and washed dishes and pumped gas

play01:46

so that I could pursue my dream.

play01:49

Well, eventually I learned enough English,

play01:51

and my parents were so happy

play01:53

the day that I got into medical school and took my oath of healing and service.

play01:58

But then one day, everything changed.

play02:01

My mother called me to tell me that she wasn't feeling well,

play02:04

she had a cough that wouldn't go away, she was short of breath and tired.

play02:07

Well, I knew that my mother was someone who never complained about anything.

play02:11

For her to tell me that something was the matter,

play02:14

I knew something had to be really wrong.

play02:16

And it was:

play02:17

We found out that she had stage IV breast cancer,

play02:20

cancer that by then had spread to her lungs, her bones, and her brain.

play02:26

My mother was brave, though, and she had hope.

play02:28

She went through surgery and radiation,

play02:30

and was on her third round of chemotherapy

play02:32

when she lost her address book.

play02:34

She tried to look up her oncologist's phone number on the Internet

play02:37

and she found it, but she found something else too.

play02:40

On several websites,

play02:41

he was listed as a highly paid speaker to a drug company,

play02:45

and in fact often spoke on behalf

play02:47

of the same chemo regimen that he had prescribed her.

play02:50

She called me in a panic,

play02:52

and I didn't know what to believe.

play02:54

Maybe this was the right chemo regimen for her,

play02:56

but maybe it wasn't.

play02:58

It made her scared and it made her doubt.

play03:01

When it comes to medicine,

play03:03

having that trust is a must,

play03:06

and when that trust is gone, then all that's left is fear.

play03:11

There's another side to this fear.

play03:13

As a medical student, I was taking care of this 19-year-old

play03:17

who was biking back to his dorm

play03:18

when he got struck and hit,

play03:20

run over by an SUV.

play03:23

He had seven broken ribs,

play03:24

shattered hip bones,

play03:26

and he was bleeding inside his belly and inside his brain.

play03:29

Now, imagine being his parents

play03:31

who flew in from Seattle, 2,000 miles away,

play03:33

to find their son in a coma.

play03:35

I mean, you'd want to find out what's going on with him, right?

play03:38

They asked to attend our bedside rounds

play03:40

where we discussed his condition and his plan,

play03:42

which I thought was a reasonable request,

play03:44

and also would give us a chance to show them

play03:46

how much we were trying and how much we cared.

play03:49

The head doctor, though, said no.

play03:52

He gave all kinds of reasons.

play03:53

Maybe they'll get in the nurse's way.

play03:55

Maybe they'll stop students from asking questions.

play03:59

He even said,

play04:01

"What if they see mistakes and sue us?"

play04:05

What I saw behind every excuse was deep fear,

play04:08

and what I learned was that to become a doctor,

play04:11

we have to put on our white coats,

play04:13

put up a wall, and hide behind it.

play04:17

There's a hidden epidemic in medicine.

play04:20

Of course, patients are scared when they come to the doctor.

play04:23

Imagine you wake up with this terrible bellyache,

play04:25

you go to the hospital,

play04:26

you're lying in this strange place, you're on this hospital gurney,

play04:29

you're wearing this flimsy gown,

play04:31

strangers are coming to poke and prod at you.

play04:33

You don't know what's going to happen.

play04:35

You don't even know if you're going to get the blanket you asked for 30 minutes ago.

play04:39

But it's not just patients who are scared;

play04:41

doctors are scared too.

play04:43

We're scared of patients finding out who we are

play04:46

and what medicine is all about.

play04:48

And so what do we do?

play04:50

We put on our white coats and we hide behind them.

play04:53

Of course, the more we hide,

play04:54

the more people want to know what it is that we're hiding.

play04:57

The more fear then spirals into mistrust and poor medical care.

play05:01

We don't just have a fear of sickness,

play05:03

we have a sickness of fear.

play05:07

Can we bridge this disconnect

play05:09

between what patients need and what doctors do?

play05:13

Can we overcome the sickness of fear?

play05:15

Let me ask you differently:

play05:17

If hiding isn't the answer, what if we did the opposite?

play05:21

What if doctors were to become totally transparent with their patients?

play05:26

Last fall, I conducted a research study to find out

play05:29

what it is that people want to know about their healthcare.

play05:32

I didn't just want to study patients in a hospital,

play05:34

but everyday people.

play05:35

So my two medical students, Suhavi Tucker and Laura Johns,

play05:39

literally took their research to the streets.

play05:41

They went to banks, coffee shops, senior centers,

play05:45

Chinese restaurants and train stations.

play05:49

What did they find?

play05:50

Well, when we asked people,

play05:51

"What do you want to know about your healthcare?"

play05:54

people responded with what they want to know about their doctors,

play05:58

because people understand health care

play05:59

to be the individual interaction between them and their doctors.

play06:03

When we asked, "What do you want to know about your doctors?"

play06:06

people gave three different answers.

play06:08

Some want to know that their doctor is competent

play06:11

and certified to practice medicine.

play06:13

Some want to be sure that their doctor is unbiased

play06:16

and is making decisions based on evidence and science,

play06:19

not on who pays them.

play06:21

Surprisingly to us,

play06:23

many people want to know something else about their doctors.

play06:26

Jonathan, a 28-year-old law student,

play06:29

says he wants to find someone who is comfortable with LGBTQ patients

play06:34

and specializes in LGBT health.

play06:36

Serena, a 32-year-old accountant,

play06:38

says that it's important to her for her doctor to share her values

play06:41

when it comes to reproductive choice and women's rights.

play06:45

Frank, a 59-year-old hardware store owner,

play06:47

doesn't even like going to the doctor

play06:50

and wants to find someone who believes in prevention first,

play06:53

but who is comfortable with alternative treatments.

play06:56

One after another, our respondents told us

play06:59

that that doctor-patient relationship is a deeply intimate one —

play07:02

that to show their doctors their bodies

play07:04

and tell them their deepest secrets,

play07:06

they want to first understand their doctor's values.

play07:09

Just because doctors have to see every patient

play07:12

doesn't mean that patients have to see every doctor.

play07:15

People want to know about their doctors first

play07:17

so that they can make an informed choice.

play07:20

As a result of this, I formed a campaign,

play07:22

Who's My Doctor?

play07:24

that calls for total transparency in medicine.

play07:27

Participating doctors voluntarily disclose

play07:29

on a public website

play07:30

not just information about where we went to medical school

play07:33

and what specialty we're in,

play07:35

but also our conflicts of interest.

play07:36

We go beyond the Government in the Sunshine Act

play07:39

about drug company affiliations,

play07:41

and we talk about how we're paid.

play07:44

Incentives matter.

play07:46

If you go to your doctor because of back pain,

play07:48

you might want to know he's getting paid 5,000 dollars to perform spine surgery

play07:52

versus 25 dollars to refer you to see a physical therapist,

play07:56

or if he's getting paid the same thing no matter what he recommends.

play08:00

Then, we go one step further.

play08:03

We add our values when it comes to women's health,

play08:05

LGBT health, alternative medicine,

play08:08

preventive health, and end-of-life decisions.

play08:11

We pledge to our patients that we are here to serve you,

play08:14

so you have a right to know who we are.

play08:17

We believe that transparency can be the cure for fear.

play08:21

I thought some doctors would sign on and others wouldn't,

play08:24

but I had no idea of the huge backlash that would ensue.

play08:29

Within one week of starting Who's My Doctor?

play08:31

Medscape's public forum

play08:33

and several online doctors' communities

play08:35

had thousands of posts about this topic.

play08:39

Here are a few.

play08:40

From a gastroenterologist in Portland:

play08:42

"I devoted 12 years of my life to being a slave.

play08:45

I have loans and mortgages.

play08:47

I depend on lunches from drug companies to serve patients."

play08:51

Well, times may be hard for everyone,

play08:54

but try telling your patient

play08:55

making 35,000 dollars a year to serve a family of four

play08:58

that you need the free lunch.

play09:02

From an orthopedic surgeon in Charlotte:

play09:05

"I find it an invasion of my privacy to disclose where my income comes from.

play09:09

My patients don't disclose their incomes to me."

play09:13

But your patients' sources of income don't affect your health.

play09:17

From a psychiatrist in New York City:

play09:19

"Pretty soon we will have to disclose whether we prefer cats to dogs,

play09:23

what model of car we drive,

play09:24

and what toilet paper we use."

play09:27

Well, how you feel about Toyotas or Cottonelle

play09:30

won't affect your patients' health,

play09:32

but your views on a woman's right to choose

play09:34

and preventive medicine and end-of-life decisions just might.

play09:38

And my favorite, from a Kansas City cardiologist:

play09:41

"More government-mandated stuff?

play09:44

Dr. Wen needs to move back to her own country."

play09:48

Well, two pieces of good news.

play09:50

First of all, this is meant to be voluntary and not mandatory,

play09:53

and second of all, I'm American and I'm already here.

play09:57

(Laughter) (Applause)

play10:05

Within a month, my employers were getting calls

play10:08

asking for me to be fired.

play10:10

I received mail at my undisclosed home address

play10:13

with threats to contact the medical board to sanction me.

play10:17

My friends and family urged me to quit this campaign.

play10:21

After the bomb threat, I was done.

play10:24

But then I heard from patients.

play10:26

Over social media, a TweetChat,

play10:29

which I'd learned what that was by then,

play10:31

generated 4.3 million impressions,

play10:34

and thousands of people wrote to encourage me to continue.

play10:38

They wrote with things like,

play10:40

"If doctors are doing something they're that ashamed of,

play10:43

they shouldn't be doing it."

play10:46

"Elected officials have to disclose campaign contributions.

play10:49

Lawyers have to disclose conflicts of interests.

play10:51

Why shouldn't doctors?"

play10:53

And finally, many people wrote and said,

play10:56

"Let us patients decide

play10:58

what's important when we're choosing a doctor."

play11:02

In our initial trial,

play11:03

over 300 doctors have taken the total transparency pledge.

play11:08

What a crazy new idea, right?

play11:10

But actually, this is not that new of a concept at all.

play11:13

Remember Dr. Sam, my doctor in China,

play11:15

with the goofy jokes and the wild hair?

play11:18

Well, she was my doctor,

play11:19

but she was also our neighbor

play11:21

who lived in the building across the street.

play11:23

I went to the same school as her daughter.

play11:26

My parents and I trusted her

play11:28

because we knew who she was and what she stood for,

play11:30

and she had no need to hide from us.

play11:33

Just one generation ago, this was the norm in the U.S. as well.

play11:37

You knew that your family doctor was the father of two teenage boys,

play11:40

that he quit smoking a few years ago,

play11:42

that he says he's a regular churchgoer,

play11:44

but you see him twice a year: once at Easter

play11:46

and once when his mother-in-law comes to town.

play11:50

You knew what he was about,

play11:51

and he had no need to hide from you.

play11:54

But the sickness of fear has taken over,

play11:57

and patients suffer the consequences.

play11:59

I know this firsthand.

play12:02

My mother fought her cancer for eight years.

play12:05

She was a planner,

play12:06

and she thought a lot about how she wanted to live

play12:08

and how she wanted to die.

play12:10

Not only did she sign advance directives,

play12:13

she wrote a 12-page document about how she had suffered enough,

play12:16

how it was time for her to go.

play12:19

One day, when I was a resident physician,

play12:21

I got a call to say that she was in the intensive care unit.

play12:25

By the time I got there, she was about to be intubated

play12:29

and put on a breathing machine.

play12:31

"But this is not what she wants," I said, "and we have documents."

play12:36

The ICU doctor looked at me in the eye,

play12:38

pointed at my then 16-year-old sister, and said,

play12:43

"Do you remember when you were that age?

play12:45

How would you have liked to grow up without your mother?"

play12:49

Her oncologist was there too, and said,

play12:52

"This is your mother.

play12:54

Can you really face yourself for the rest of your life

play12:56

if you don't do everything for her?"

play13:00

I knew my mother so well.

play13:02

I understood what her directives meant so well,

play13:05

but I was a physician.

play13:09

That was the single hardest decision I ever made,

play13:13

to let her die in peace,

play13:16

and I carry those words of those doctors with me

play13:19

every single day.

play13:23

We can bridge the disconnect

play13:25

between what doctors do and what patients need.

play13:30

We can get there, because we've been there before,

play13:32

and we know that transparency gets us to that trust.

play13:35

Research has shown us that openness also helps doctors,

play13:38

that having open medical records,

play13:39

being willing to talk about medical errors,

play13:41

will increase patient trust,

play13:43

improve health outcomes,

play13:45

and reduce malpractice.

play13:47

That openness, that trust,

play13:48

is only going to be more important

play13:50

as we move from the infectious to the behavioral model of disease.

play13:54

Bacteria may not care so much about trust and intimacy,

play13:57

but for people to tackle the hard lifestyle choices,

play14:01

to address issues like smoking cessation,

play14:03

blood-pressure management and diabetes control,

play14:06

well, that requires us to establish trust.

play14:11

Here's what other transparent doctors have said.

play14:13

Brandon Combs, an internist in Denver:

play14:16

"This has brought me closer to my patients.

play14:19

The type of relationship I've developed —

play14:22

that's why I entered medicine."

play14:26

Aaron Stupple, an internist in Denver:

play14:28

"I tell my patients that I am totally open with them.

play14:32

I don't hide anything from them.

play14:34

This is me. Now tell me about you.

play14:37

We're in this together."

play14:39

May Nguyen, a family physician in Houston:

play14:41

"My colleagues are astounded by what I'm doing.

play14:45

They ask me how I could be so brave.

play14:48

I said, I'm not being brave,

play14:51

it's my job."

play14:55

I leave you today with a final thought.

play14:58

Being totally transparent is scary.

play15:01

You feel naked, exposed and vulnerable,

play15:05

but that vulnerability, that humility,

play15:08

it can be an extraordinary benefit to the practice of medicine.

play15:13

When doctors are willing to step off our pedestals,

play15:15

take off our white coats,

play15:17

and show our patients who we are and what medicine is all about,

play15:20

that's when we begin to overcome the sickness of fear.

play15:23

That's when we establish trust.

play15:25

That's when we change the paradigm of medicine

play15:28

from one of secrecy and hiding

play15:29

to one that is fully open and engaged

play15:32

for our patients.

play15:35

Thank you.

play15:36

(Applause)

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