Overview

Medical uncertainty has been with us for centuries and remains a recurrent problem for patients, doctors, and researchers alike. Yet uncertainty in health care is still poorly understood and ineffectively managed; it is generally feared and avoided rather than directly confronted. This systemic disregard of uncertainty leads us to treat medical uncertainty as a pathological condition to be cured through the pursuit of knowledge, but often further medical knowledge begets further uncertainty in kind.Uncertainty in Medicine offers an alternative, multi-disciplinary perspective on this challenging problem. Integrating insights across clinical medicine and social science, Dr. Paul Han argues that uncertainty is an essential form of knowledge to be cultivated, rather than eradicated, in medical practice. He makes the case that the paradigm of medicine should be expanded to include not only the pursuit of medical knowledge but the treatment and palliation of medical uncertainty and its effects on physicians, other health professionals, and patients. Using clear language and a textbook approach, he analyzes the nature, etiology, and natural history of medical uncertainty, and develops a conceptual framework to guide its management. By promoting a more systematic way of conceptualizing the problem, this framework can enable clinicians and patients to better address medical uncertainty, and can help make uncertainty tolerance a more central focus of medical care.Rational and reassuring, Uncertainty in Medicine forges a new path for approaching medical uncertainty by arming readers from an array of disciplines with the tools they need to diagnose, treat, and confront its challenges more intentionally and effectively.

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9780190270582

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Reviews

In this compelling and thought-provoking book, Paul Han takes a deep dive into the nature of uncertainty in medicine and how to respond in ways that promote health, understanding, and growth. Bringing into sharp relief the clinical, ethical, and personal dilemmas that we all face when confronting uncertainties, Han provides us with information, wisdom, and inspiration to navigate a path forward. -- Ronald Epstein, University of Rochester Medical Center and author of Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness, and Humanity Uncertainty in Medicine is the clearest statement I have read of what uncertainty for patients, families, doctors, and nurses is all about. Han's approach to how we can tolerate uncertainty and get on with care is a balm for all, and for researchers a key step forward. -- Arthur Kleinman, Harvard University and Harvard Medical School

In this compelling and thought-provoking book, Paul Han takes a deep dive into the nature of uncertainty in medicine and how to respond in ways that promote health, understanding, and growth. Bringing into sharp relief the clinical, ethical, and personal dilemmas that we all face when confronting uncertainties, Han provides us with information, wisdom, and inspiration to navigate a path forward. -- Ronald Epstein, University of Rochester Medical Center and author of Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness, and Humanity Uncertainty in Medicine is the clearest statement I have read of what uncertainty for patients, families, doctors, and nurses is all about. Han's approach to how we can tolerate uncertainty and get on with care is a balm for all, and for researchers a key step forward. -- Arthur Kleinman, Harvard University and Harvard Medical School

Author Information

Paul K.J. Han, MD, MA, MPH, is Senior Scientist at the National Cancer Institute. He has worked previously in clinical practice as a general internist and trained medical students and residents in risk communication and shared decision making.

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