This chapter explores the profound effects of diagnostic testing on individuals, examining how these tests can shift one's identity from healthy to patient. It emphasizes the need for thoughtful communication between doctors and patients, as well as the philosophical dilemmas surrounding the knowledge of one's health status.
Physician Adam Cifu keeps a binder of every patient of his who has passed away. Every once in a while, he opens it and remembers the lives of his past patients. Morbid? Maybe a little. But it's just one of the ways Cifu tries to make his practice of medicine more mindful. In this conversation with EconTalk's Russ Roberts, Cifu explores the human side of medicine and the challenges of being a good doctor.