"Observation in Art and Medicine"
By: Ashley Zilka
Updated: October 16, 2012
She's the inspiration for the television show, "House." Dr. Lisa Sanders is a well-respected doctor with a column in the New York Times.
On Tuesday, she shared her technique for diagnosing patients with doctors at Highland Hospital.
It was an unusual sight. Doctors sitting around a table looking at artwork. On Tuesday, Highland Hospital teamed up with the Memorial Art Gallery to learn about the art of observation.
It's something that Dr. Lisa Sanders says doctors miss when trying to diagnosis a patient.
"If the patient smells of alcohol that tells you something, if the patient is disheveled that tells you something, if the patient is well put together that tells you something; you have to observe it," said Sanders.
Dr. Sanders believes doctors should be more like Sherlock Holmes, relying less on technology and more on observation.
"The patient's story is why are you here, what brings you in today, why did you come to my office or the emergency room, what's going on," said Sanders.
Dr. Sanders says most diagnoses are made through the patient's story alone, and on average, their story is no more than two minutes long.
"They know what they want to say. They told that story many times. If you give people a chance to tell their story, they can do it in a very concise and efficient way," said Sanders.
Dr. Sanders says treating a patient is a puzzle and she hopes she can help other doctors solve that puzzle.
On Tuesday, she shared her technique for diagnosing patients with doctors at Highland Hospital.
It was an unusual sight. Doctors sitting around a table looking at artwork. On Tuesday, Highland Hospital teamed up with the Memorial Art Gallery to learn about the art of observation.
It's something that Dr. Lisa Sanders says doctors miss when trying to diagnosis a patient.
"If the patient smells of alcohol that tells you something, if the patient is disheveled that tells you something, if the patient is well put together that tells you something; you have to observe it," said Sanders.
Dr. Sanders believes doctors should be more like Sherlock Holmes, relying less on technology and more on observation.
"The patient's story is why are you here, what brings you in today, why did you come to my office or the emergency room, what's going on," said Sanders.
Dr. Sanders says most diagnoses are made through the patient's story alone, and on average, their story is no more than two minutes long.
"They know what they want to say. They told that story many times. If you give people a chance to tell their story, they can do it in a very concise and efficient way," said Sanders.
Dr. Sanders says treating a patient is a puzzle and she hopes she can help other doctors solve that puzzle.
