Your Medical Mind

How to Decide What Is Right for You

By: Jerome Groopman, Pamela Hartzband

Narrated by: Linda Emond, Cotter Smith

Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's Summary

Your doctor suggests you take a drug to lower your blood pressure, but you’ve read that it has risky side effects for some patients. Do you take the drug given the risks it entails, or do you risk living with high blood pressure? The answers to questions like this can be maddeningly—even dangerously—elusive, because our best interests are often hidden by our doctors’ preferences, drug companies’ propaganda, the vagaries of the healthcare system, and especially by our own anxieties, ideals, personal histories, and cognitive foibles.

As patients, each of us falls at some point along each of three spectrums: believer vs. doubter, naturalistic vs. technological, and narrative vs. numbers (that is, some put their faith in stories, others in statistics). Knowing where our personalities place us along these spectrums allows us to determine whether, say, a wait-and-see approach might make us feel better, physically and psychologically, than an intensive treatment, or whether our doctor is well or poorly suited to our needs and attitudes. Crucially, understanding our own personalities also alerts us to cognitive obstacles that might trip us up while making decisions about our care.

Drs. Groopman and Hartzband provide groundbreaking guidance any patient can use to tailor their medical choices to their own physical and emotional needs.

©2011 Jerome Groopman and Pamela Hartzband (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

For patient engagement, a must read

I think anyone who wants to understand making the realities of making medical decisions needs to understand the cases in this book. No simple answers here, and that's the point.

I'm deeply into the fields of shared decision making and patient autonomy, from the patient's perspective and as co-chair of the Society for Participatory Medicine. This isn't a lightweight book - the issues and cases presented are serious and thought provoking, at times heart-breaking - but it's highly readable and, as with Groopman's other books I've read (Anatomy of Hope, How Doctors Think), eminently understandable.

I like that he's joined here by his wife, also an MD, and that they start by sharing their own different preferences in decision making, arising out of their different upbringings.

They present principles and challenges, and then illustrate them with cases. Each is presented as it unfolded in reality, with no certainty about how things would go - because that's how it is in real time, for both the physician and the patient. (Any physician who asserts certainty is either blowing smoke, or lying, or misguided in his/her own sureness, because *nothing* is absolutely certain.)

At times I picked up what seemed to be signals that not every doctor who urges you to do something may be acting with *your* interests as the #1 priority. That can add to the reality of the uncertainty you face. But even in the best of circumstances, as you face decisions and plan for your own end of life, you just don't know, and it's best for all to understand this as part of the fabric of life.

Big help to me

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Help!

Any additional comments?

I have had two big decisions to make about medical treatment for myself this year. I have made those decisions with the help of this book. I have great trouble actually reading self help books. I like to read to escape my own life and venture into other lives, but the information to be found here is most valuable. Doctors have so little time to spend with their patients these days and most are not as skilled as these two. Thank you, doctors Groopman and Hartzband. The readers have done an excellent job as well.

Not for hypochondriacs

Your Medical Mind was more case-study oriented and less edu-tainment than some books of it's kind. But, while not a fun listen/read, it did cover an array of medical problems which someone might face. The theory at work here seems to be that if you use this book to explore your medical preferences before you or a loved one is sick, you will be able to make decisions more rationally when/if that time comes. Logic says that thinking about these things before hand should help most people however with all of the symptoms and ailments the authors describe in detail I would warn people off this book who know themselves to be hypochondriacs.

Not for hypochondriacs

Your Medical Mind was more case-study oriented and less edu-tainment than some books of it's kind. But, while not a fun listen/read, it did cover an array of medical problems which someone might face. The theory at work here seems to be that if you use this book to explore your medical preferences before you or a loved one is sick, you will be able to make decisions more rationally when/if that time comes. Logic says that thinking about these things before hand should help most people however with all of the symptoms and ailments the authors describe in detail I would warn people off this book who know themselves to be hypochondriacs.

Excellent

Would you consider the audio edition of Your Medical Mind to be better than the print version?

Probably as it was very well done.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It empowers.

Any additional comments?

Everyone could take away important lessons from this very easy to take-in book. Authors master the power of story telling as an excellent non-fiction approach to producing an approachable product.

How your experience affects your thoughts now.

Would you try another book from Jerome Groopman and Pamela Hartzband and/or Linda Emond and Cotter Smith ?

Yes: It is very interesting to see how our experience influences current thoughts. It is also very interesting to know the different factors that are affecting peoples thought processes.

Who was your favorite character and why?

No favorite character. One observation that may affect things: many of these people were educated and successful; more likely to challenge. I am a healthcare worker and deal with many people who are overwhelmed by these circumstances. They are much less likely to be challenging. Many older folks are submissive without questioning, they need the younger family members that are going to ask questions and do research.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Linda Emond and Cotter Smith ?

Yes they were quite good I would listen them as a team or individually.

Did Your Medical Mind inspire you to do anything?

As a healthcare worker I was aware of many of these things. It was a confirmation of my thoughts and observations over the years.

Any additional comments?

We all have to arm ourselves with information on our health issues. We most be empowered to ask questions and take control of our healthcare.

Your medical mind

I am guessing that you are like me and have hit some obstacle and need information. For me the obstacle came in the form of someone close with severe medical problems. Read books on how doctors think, how hospitals work, malpractice and so on. This book helps you decide what is right for you, medically, and making those decisions. I can't be objective about this book because I needed something to help my decision making in medical matters. This book helped my perspective and helped give me the tools and the outlook to take matters in hand. This book helped me balance decision making while taking in other related matters and combining the information. I am glad I read this book.

Good suggestions for dealing with doctors

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. No agenda - just a lot of good suggestions.

Which character – as performed by Linda Emond and Cotter Smith – was your favorite?

I enjoyed the fact that there were two narrators so that two different viewpoints were pointed out.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes - I did

Any additional comments?

Recommended for anyone who has health problems that require a lot of interaction with doctors.

Phenomenal

This book has given me much insight as to how I personally make medical decisions, as well as how my family members and clients make their medical decisions. It has caused me to examine why I have made the decisions I have regarding my thyroid treatment and if I made the correct decisions. I will now be reevaluating my treatment. The personal stories provided me with comfort and perspective and encouraged me to fully comprehend the uniqueness of each individual. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially medical professionals. I am excited to reread it as I have a paper copy as well as be audiobook. Thank you to the doctors who took the time to do their research and write such a wonderful piece.