Rapid responses from bmj.com

doi:10.1136/bmjusa.03020004

BMJ, doi: 10.1136/bmjusa.03020004, (Published 26 March 2003)

Letters

Can't we deal with uncertainty?

Perpetuating ignorance

The need for history (and epistemology) lessons

No brainer

The number offended

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

From BMJ USA 2003;Feb:90

RAPID RESPONSES FROM BMJ.COM Following are edited excerpts from Rapid Responses generated by this article, which can be readin their entirety at http://bmj.com/cgi/eletters/325/7378/1449. $---$ Editor

Can't we deal with uncertainty?

EDITOR $---$ Why can't we just say, "I'm terribly sorry but at the moment I don't know what's wrong with you"? Why can't we be honestand declare that the cause of the symptoms isn't clear? Honestywill not offend half as much as using terms with meanings likelyto be misinterpreted $---$ and which stop us from looking, or send usin the wrong direction. Some of my fellow mental health professionalsfind it hard to deal with uncertainty. It's actually quite a primitiveresponse and something which deserves further attention. In essence,we can either admit to not knowing, or guess. To rely on wordslike `functional' generally says more about us than about thepatient's problems. It's better . . . [Full text of this article]