Healing the doctor-patient divide

More and more Americans feel disconnected from their doctors, especially compared to a generation ago, says surgeon Pauline W. Chen in this commentary for the New York Times. And they certainly have less confidence in the profession as a whole, she adds. Chen says there is "a tragic irony" in the divide, because everyone involved just wants the best care possible. She says patients and doctors have lost the ability to converse thoughtfully with one another, and because of that loss, they can no longer discuss the meaning of illness, care, health, and policy in a way that is relevant to everyone.