A Report on Importance of Thorough Physical Examination:

A Lost Art

Asif et al. (2017) have conducted their study with regard to the case demonstrating that
indiscriminate use of technology does not translate into comprehensive high quality or safe
patient care. They have considered that a proper choice of investigations guided by logical
clinical decision-making after adding the clinical history and physical exam in differential
diagnosis to enhance patient safety. Puri et al. (2017) have the same article entitling Physical
Examination: The Dying Art. In the article, they have been asking when the last time the
clinicians were performing a thorough physical examination on a patient. They conceive that
physical examination is a dying art of today’s medical practice.

My reaction to the first article was the personal case of a patient behind it. It was a 28-
year old patient with a history of substance abuse. He has a case of extensive acute embolic
strokes secondary to infective endocarditis that was initially misdiagnosed as Bell’s palsy due to
sparse and incorrect physical examination. To respond with this, I don’t think it depends on how
old the technique of physical examination in assessing a patient to make a mistaken diagnosis.
I’ve seen the latest trend of the second article, which modern technology seems to take over
physical examination regarding to accurateness, time-constraints, and conspicuousness. I believe
it depends on the physician or the professional worker performing a poor physical examination
on its client, it may have lacked something in the health profile of the client, the physician may
haven’t reached the standard of getting into acquaintance with the client or the misuse of one of
the assessment instruments for physical examination. There can be possible reasons as to why we
create wrong diagnoses, not just the reason for the thought that physical diagnosis is over-rated
and that modern technology is the new thing now. Yes, modern technology has been added as a
great help of today’s medical practice, especially technology plays a very essential role in every
field in our world. But there is a part also that it can commit wrong diagnoses. I say, both
physical examination and modern technology are equally useful for a specific diagnosis, it
depends on what is available or what is more appropriate to ensure patient’s safety. But of
course, before getting the diagnosis, we make sure that we get the ethical standard in assessing
our clients.

On the other hand, the second article has no difference with the first article. Somehow,
the authors mostly wanted to say in a clear way that it is not necessary for the physicians to
always use the modern technology instantly for patients ready to know its diagnoses. They have
this trend that most hospitals are in use of modern technology over physical examination. Again,
modern technology holds the same reasons behind mistaken diagnosis as physical examination.

In conclusion, I was not taking any sides since both have a vital role in the society. The
importance is, at the end of the day, medical health workers never forget the certainty of a
patient’s safety or he or she will be accountable. It is all on us, not the techniques nor the
practices we use about of today.
 References

Asif, T., Mohiuddin, A., Hasan, B., & Pauly, R. R. (2017, May 2). Importance Of Thorough Physical
Examination: A Lost Art. Cureus, 9. doi:10.7759/cureus.1212

Puri, B., VAdm, S., & Raman, S. V. (2017, April 3). Physical Examination: The Dying Art. Med J Armed
Forces India, 2, 110-111. doi:10.1016/j.mjafi.2017.02.008