a stethescope is in the foreground, with a computer behind it. Hands are visible, typing on the computer.
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Self-diagnosis: perils, pitfalls, and occasionally the appropriate action

While I’ve talked about how the diagnosis process is one of guessing and checking, I want to emphasize that in most cases, it’s essential to have a doctor be involved in the process. We, as laypeople, don’t have access to all the information or tools needed to be in any way sure that our interpretation…

Evaluating your doctor
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Evaluating your Doctor

One of the idiosyncrasies of the American healthcare system(and there are many) is that it’s somewhere between difficult and impossible to get much information about how effective your doctor is.  There are some indicators out there, but it’s mostly second-hand information. For example, if your doctor was involved in a malpractice lawsuit, it’s generally a…