Running Behind

Technological advances in medicine and the profit motive in medicine today have led to the devaluing and minimizing of quality face to face time with patients. This book illustrates the value of spending the amount of quality time needed to listen to the patient’s narrative which leads to better medical care in a compassionate, trusting doctor-patient relationship. Hopefully, young practitioners will see the value in approaching their patients in this way and will experience a better relationship with their patients along with a decreased risk of burnout.Running Behind: Narratives of 40 Years Practicing Internal Medicine shares patient narratives from the years the author spent as an internist practicing mainly primary care. It reveals his moment of epiphany that helped him to see his patients as human beings first, rather than as just another case of a particular disease. Getting to know his patients well led to compassionate care with a bond between him and his patients that often resulted in a more accurate diagnosis, improved patient compliance with treatment, and helped engender trust between the patient and him. Just as importantly, Dr. Reed learned important life lessons that generated a great source of satisfaction in his life.