In 1959 Arthur Hailey wrote a novel called 'The Final Diagnosis'. The novel was based on the department of pathology and the pathologist was at the core of the action. Maybe most of you must have read it, and if not, here goes the plot: Joe Pearson is the chief of pathology in a big hospital; an excellent pathologist who is so immersed in his work that he is now out of touch with the latest methods in the laboratory medicine. When change is underway in this hospital, Pearson, who makes the final diagnosis, commits a mistake and a young girl loses her leg. The book further explores his adamant behavior and his reluctance to utilize new technology.
Finally, Joe Pearson loses his job and also his reputation. This becomes part of the fiction. But, how does this happen in real life??? Everyday new information keeps coming and it is close to impossible to keep yourself updated with the new…
