"How Doctors Think is a window into the mind of the physician and an insightful examination of the all-important relationship between doctors and their patients. In this myth-shattering work, Jerome Groopman explores the forces and thought processes behind the decisions doctors make. He pinpints why doctors succeed and why they err. Most important, Groopman shows when and how doctors can - with our help - avoid snap judgments, embrace uncertainty, communicate effectively, and deploy other skills that can profoundly impact our health." --

This book offers advice on making medical decisions inspite of confusing and conflicting information, provides insight into the personal beliefs influencing how choices are made while citing the marketing practices that complicate the process. Making the right medical choices is harder than ever. Whether deciding on a cholesterol drug or choosing a cancer treatment, we are overwhelmed by information from all sides: our doctors' recommendations, dissenting expert opinions, confusing statistics, conflicting media reports, the advice of friends, claims on the Internet, and a never-ending stream of drug company ads. This book shows us how to chart a clear path through this sea of confusion. Both doctor, the authors reveal that each of us has a set of deeply rooted beliefs whose profound influence we may not realize when we make medical decisions. Recognizing our preferences and the external factors that might lead our thinking astray can make a dramatic, even lifesaving, difference in our medical decision making. The authors drew on research and insights from patients, doctors, psychologists, economists, and other experts to help reveal the array of forces that can aid or impede our thinking. Ultinately, this is a chronicle of how ordinary people, landing at a medical crossroads, must decide about care, who should provide it, and for how long. -- From publisher description.

"One of the greatest challenges patients and their families face is how to evaluate and act on medical advice. Swept up in the rush of events, anxious about the prognosis, facing a blur of technical jargon, fatigued from worry or pain, people who are ill are easily overwhelmed by treatment choices. Told in eight gripping clinical dramas, [this book] reveals the forces at play in making critical medical decisions. Dr. Jerome Groopman illuminates the world of medicine, where knowledge is imperfect, no therapy is without risks, and the outcome is never fully predictable. It portrays moments of astute diagnosis and misguided perception, of lifesaving triumphs and shattering failures. These real-life lessons prepare us to traverse the uncertain terrain of illness, and enable us to balance intuition and information, and thereby make the best possible decisions about our health and future.