Five Patients
Encyclopedia
Five Patients is a non-fiction
book by Michael Crichton
that recounts his experiences of hospital
practices during the late 1960s at Massachusetts General Hospital
in Boston.
The book describes each of five patients through their hospital experience and the context of their treatment. The author notes in the foreword of the 1994 reprint of this book that medical practices (both the culture, technology and finances) have changed significantly since the book was written, but that the text was left as is to give us a more complete glimpse into the past.
The five patients were Ralph Orlando, a construction worker seriously injured in a scaffold collapse, John O'Connor, a middle aged dispatcher suffering from fever that has reduced him to a delirious wreck, Peter Luchesi, a young man who severs his hand in an accident, Sylvia Thompson, an airline passenger who suffers chest pains, and Edith Murphy, a mother of three who is diagnosed with a life threatening disease.
Crichton recounts a brief history of medicine until 1969 to help contextualize hospital culture and practice, and mentions national healthcare, drug prices, healthcare costs, and healthcare politics. The increasing cost of healthcare is a major theme – then at 15% per year.
He quotes Dr. James Howard Means, who is critical of the American Medical Association
: "every attempt has been made by liberally-minded groups to improve medical care and make it more accessible...the AMA has attacked with ever increasing truculence... They forget perhaps that medicine is for the people, not for the doctors. They need some enlightenment on this point."
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
book by Michael Crichton
Michael Crichton
John Michael Crichton , best known as Michael Crichton, was an American best-selling author, producer, director, and screenwriter, best known for his work in the science fiction, medical fiction, and thriller genres. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and many have been adapted...
that recounts his experiences of hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
practices during the late 1960s at Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
in Boston.
The book describes each of five patients through their hospital experience and the context of their treatment. The author notes in the foreword of the 1994 reprint of this book that medical practices (both the culture, technology and finances) have changed significantly since the book was written, but that the text was left as is to give us a more complete glimpse into the past.
The five patients were Ralph Orlando, a construction worker seriously injured in a scaffold collapse, John O'Connor, a middle aged dispatcher suffering from fever that has reduced him to a delirious wreck, Peter Luchesi, a young man who severs his hand in an accident, Sylvia Thompson, an airline passenger who suffers chest pains, and Edith Murphy, a mother of three who is diagnosed with a life threatening disease.
Crichton recounts a brief history of medicine until 1969 to help contextualize hospital culture and practice, and mentions national healthcare, drug prices, healthcare costs, and healthcare politics. The increasing cost of healthcare is a major theme – then at 15% per year.
He quotes Dr. James Howard Means, who is critical of the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
: "every attempt has been made by liberally-minded groups to improve medical care and make it more accessible...the AMA has attacked with ever increasing truculence... They forget perhaps that medicine is for the people, not for the doctors. They need some enlightenment on this point."