New-York tribune., 1919-09-21
Many Patients
In Financial !
District

LIZ. Savage points out that there
has been but little special literature
on group medicine. It was first
successfully tried on the Pacific
Coast where information had SLOW
ly accumulated that in all general
hispitals many avoidable diagnostic
blunders we're continually made, and
group medicine was intended to pre-
vent this catastrophe state of affairs.
Group medicine was essentially
group diagnosis"
Explaining his idea Of group
medicine, DR.. Savage says, after
first declaring there is some pref.
udice against it:
''lf an extremist examines a pri.
vate patient and finds no organic
affection but a highly developed
nervousness and suggestibility, he
will be very willing to transfer the
patient to a neurologist-
"The latter in turn may find rea-
son to believe that the nervous
symptoms are at bottom dependent
on some slight structural anomaly
IN some portion of the body. Per-
haps he will think the mischief is Of
urogenital origin. In any case.
treatment directed against such
mischief may have suggestive
value. 1t has recently been learned
that much invalidism and imitation
of disease can be traced to structure
of the ureter. A score of similar
possibilities exist where trivial
LESSONS in quite different parts of the
body render men and women in
valids, and only as a result of a com.
plete diagnostic examination can
this mischief be found and cor
rected. When found, it may have
to do with an anomaly of refraction
or badly fitting glasses, with an in
lection Of a nasal sinus, or with an
infected tooth-root, and so on
throughout the whole organism"
After reviewing the work of the
Mayo group the writer goes on to
say:
while the expression group
medicine and teamwork are new
enough, the claim might be made
that the practice is by no means
new. Does not large outdoor de-
partment of hospital or a special
dispensary like those which have
hourished for years embody the
same idea?"
Group Cases
Lastly, how will the public view
this group idea? DR.. Savage thinks
they will take kindly to it and
writes:
"This opens up a new and large
problem. All cases are certainly not
group cases, and it might represent
an economic waste to treat them as
such. Perhaps almost any patient
could benefit in some manner from
group diagnosis and treatment, but
the idea of the group is based on the
conditions arising from the combina-
tion Of complicated disease in men OF
moderate circumstances. The very
wealthy man is not likely to seek
group treatment to save money. The
element Of time saving might or
might not appeal to him. One Of the
most cherished privileges of one type
Of patient Is TO wander from ono
physician to another. Moreover, the
group ideas may suggest too strong.
~ the Consultation Of specialists
OF newspaper mention, which usually
means that the patient is almost
hopelessly i'll. In fact, group medi.
cine being in the experimental stage.
no one knows just how the public will
react to it. No one goes to the
Mayos' institution primarily for
group treatment People know Of
the Mayo brothers, but rot much Of
the men who may actually operate
on them. The name Mayo acts az q
guarantee. .
"A group Of medical men combfns
Ing without the magic Of q mama
could not expect this attitude from
the public. The makeup Of the group
would perhaps convey little, and tho
requirements Of ethics might sup.
press the names Of tho members on
all stationery. Patients would como
for treatment in several ways. First
the reputation Of the hospital would
gradually become known as embody.
ing the new idea Of group treatment
Second, the members Of the group, a
private practitioners, would send
some Of their clients to the hospital.
Third. the general practitioner who
has no hospital affiliations Of his own
would sooner or later act as a feeder
t. the group hospital, just as in the
past ne has always kept ordinary
hospitals supplied. 1t would bs
necessary RI chow h;rv, Shox A.