Articles & Media
Time for the Medical Profession to Stand Up
Advocating for patients is as much a part of medical care as the medical care itself. Should that advocacy, however, extend beyond the doctor’s office, when politics has palpable effects on patients’ health? Most doctors see an intrinsic distinction between calling an insurance company and calling a senator. But in terms of our patients’ health, there is a moral argument that they are equivalent More
Doctors say one thing, patients often hear something else
It really is amazing how powerful our words can be in shaping people’s health outcomes. We need to better understand how even a small difference in the way something is said can have immense benefits for the health of our patients. More
The prescription for better health outcomes: communication
Danielle Ofri talks with Kerri Miller, host of Minnesota Public Radio about how doctor-patient communication has (or has not) evolved over the years, and how this affects medical outcomes. More
It’s Time for a Single-Payer Plan
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised better health care at a lower cost that would include everyone. Although he almost certainly did not realize it, he was promoting an idea of universal health care that could only be achieved by a single-payer plan. More
2017 World Science Festival
Join Danielle for a free event at the 2017 World Science Festival in NYC. Danielle will be in conversation with journalist Susannah Meadows as part of the Science and Story Cafe. Book signing to follow. More
Audiophile Review of “What Patients Say, What Doctors Feel” audiobook
Narrator Ann M. Richardson shares Ofri’s research and perspective with a personal touch. Richardson’s narration is upbeat, with concern in her voice when necessary, matching the best-case scenario for a doctor’s voice. Her narration can shift in tone adeptly. As she discusses the medical jargon for death–“expired”–her voice captures the absurdity of the euphemism, then becomes somber as she explains the fears behind the euphemism. One can occasionally even hear the lump in her throat as she reads a grim prognosis. More
Doctors Need Better Communication
When patients speak with their doctor about the symptoms they’re experiencing, miscommunication often gets in the way of proper treatment. Danielle Ofri, an associate professor at the New York University School of Medicine, shared her wisdom about doctor-patient interaction Thursday night to a room full of medical professionals and students More
Lancet review of “What Patients Say; What Doctors Hear”
“For all the sophisticated diagnostic tools of modern medicine, the conversation between doctor and patient remains the primary diagnostic tool.” This idea lies at the heart of Danielle Ofri’s new book What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear, in which she acknowledges, dissects, experiments with, and analyses the complexities and miscues of the patient-doctor exchange. More
Losing a Patient
He made his way into my exam room supported by two metal crutches that braced at the elbow, lurching his withered legs forward, step by excruciating step. He was a wisp of a man, barely clocking in at 100 lbs—wasted away, it looked like, from untreated polio and a lifetime of subsistence living. Yet somehow here he was in bustling Manhattan, having managed to navigate our bureaucratic hospital system just a few months after arriving from East Africa. More
Is Gun Violence like Chicken Pox?
Gun violence has been characterized as an epidemic. But can a disease model of contagion help predict future victims and potentially protect them? Is gun violence really like chicken pox? More
WNYC Interview at New York Public Library
A conversation between Danielle Ofri and Mary Harris, host of WNYC’s Only Human podcast. In NYPL’s beautiful 53rd Street library, Danielle and Mary discuss how doctors and patients communicate (or don’t!) More
McGill News review of “What Patients Say,What Doctors Hear”
Many physicians struggle to treat their patients while adhering to their very tight schedules. What happens when there’s a huge disconnect in this very intimate relationship? More
Review by Terri Schlichenmeyer
This is the book you want to read in the waiting room at your next doctor’s appointment. It’s the one you’ll want to take to the next medical conference. In both cases, it could make a difference: With “What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear,” it’s your listening skills you’ll be examining. More
C-Span Book TV
The book launch for “What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear” was broadcast on C-Span’s Book TV. Watch Danielle’s discussion and reading from NYC’s legendary Strand Bookstore. More
Bellevue Auxiliary
The Bellevue Auxiliary is a century-old humanitarian organization that provides “whatever it takes” to improve the experience of patients. From childcare services to research funds to transportation to smoking cessation programs to outdoor garden to the World Trade Center clinic, the Bellevue Auxiliary has been there to help. Danielle Ofri will be speaking at the … More
