Here's a review of a book by a doctor called "How Doctors Think."

Some snippets:

* On average, a doctor interrupts a patient who is describing her symptoms within about twelve seconds.

* Many if not most of the treatments that medicine has to offer are not based on scientific evidence. Back surgeons, for example, have no idea if a commonly performed, potentially risky—and highly lucrative—surgical procedure called spinal fusion is actually any better at relieving lower back pain than nonsurgical remedies.

* Though medicine has wrapped itself in the mantle of science, most doctors aren’t trained to think very scientifically—especially when doing so is in conflict with their financial interests.

* ... the United States needs a federally funded institute, dedicated to research that will show what works in medicine, what doesn’t, and for which patients.

Is your doctor a listener? Is he or she competent? How can we ever know?

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