In this beautifully written memoir, Dr. Amy E. Caruso Brown tells the story of how the care of a pediatric patient with leukemia opened her eyes to the communication barriers and lack of empathy that sometimes occurs when medical doctors engage patients and their families. Dr. Brown followed the patient through to her death, even when she was no longer directly involved in the patient’s care. Months later, Dr. Brown made a personal, unprecedented decision to accept a “friend request” on Facebook from the patient’s mother. Dr. Brown’s experience as a Facebook “friend” altered her understanding of the practice of medicine and made her discussions with patients and families more meaningful and compassionate going forward.
Links to JAMA article, Porous Boundaries (6/2017)
