The cost of certainty in modern medicine

“I don’t know” may be one of the most difficult phrases to both hear and admit. As a patient, fewer words can make you more anxious, and as a health care provider, fewer words can make you feel more powerless. As a whole, the medical community has fostered and embraced a culture of certainty, discouraging the phrase “I don’t know” because of the helplessness it can instill in patients and …

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