Virtual Mentor. August 2000, Volume 2, Number 8.

Perspectives

Through the Patient's Eyes: He Lifted His Eyes

Readers are referred to an article by Nancy Keene in a 1997 issue of JAMA to consider the experience of health care from the patient's perspective.

What is it like to be a patient experiencing a debilitating, potentially life-threatening illness or encountering the health care environment, perhaps for the first time, from a position of vulnerability? Through the stories of patients, physicians come to see themselves, and most especially their communications, from the other side of the equation. When patients - including physicians who become patients - voice their most intimate thoughts, feelings, and reactions, much can be learned.

August Patient Story

Keene, N. He lifted his eyes. JAMA. [A Piece of My Mind] 1997;277:1502.

The viewpoints expressed on this site are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the AMA.