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The Elusive Body: Patients, Doctors, and the Diagnosis Crisis
Not yet published
Expected 31 Mar 26A compelling, necessary, and timely investigation into the diagnosis crisis in the American healthcare system, from the patients living with undiagnosed illnesses, to the doctors searching for answers, and what their quests reveal about our flawed medical system
An estimated tens of millions of Americans live with conditions that elude diagnosis, often navigating a healthcare system that fails to recognize or effectively address their suffering. Journalist Alexandra Sifferlin has spent years investigating the diagnosis crisis in America—what it means to live without a diagnosis and how both medical and patient communities are working to improve the diagnostic process. The National Institute of Health’s Undiagnosed Diseases Network, a series of clinics of last resort where physicians work tirelessly to solve some of medicine’s most confounding cases, is at the forefront of change, showing what’s possible when healthcare providers and scientists are freed from the bureaucracy of a system beholden to insurance companies, and encouraged to work together with the aim of solving some of medicine’s most perplexing mysteries.
A correct diagnosis is more than a label; it’s a lifeline that opens doors to treatment options, financial support, and an understanding community. Weaving the profound, maddening, and uplifting stories of patients seeking answers to unexplainable symptoms, the doctors trying to help them, and the latest research on diagnosis, The Elusive Body illuminates the diagnostic journey, revealing why diagnoses matter and how they have the power to transform lives, the medical system, and even society, one case at a time.
An estimated tens of millions of Americans live with conditions that elude diagnosis, often navigating a healthcare system that fails to recognize or effectively address their suffering. Journalist Alexandra Sifferlin has spent years investigating the diagnosis crisis in America—what it means to live without a diagnosis and how both medical and patient communities are working to improve the diagnostic process. The National Institute of Health’s Undiagnosed Diseases Network, a series of clinics of last resort where physicians work tirelessly to solve some of medicine’s most confounding cases, is at the forefront of change, showing what’s possible when healthcare providers and scientists are freed from the bureaucracy of a system beholden to insurance companies, and encouraged to work together with the aim of solving some of medicine’s most perplexing mysteries.
A correct diagnosis is more than a label; it’s a lifeline that opens doors to treatment options, financial support, and an understanding community. Weaving the profound, maddening, and uplifting stories of patients seeking answers to unexplainable symptoms, the doctors trying to help them, and the latest research on diagnosis, The Elusive Body illuminates the diagnostic journey, revealing why diagnoses matter and how they have the power to transform lives, the medical system, and even society, one case at a time.
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 31, 2026
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 3, 2026
*ARC- review is solely based on my own thoughts and opinions
📖The Elusive Body by Alexandra Sifferlin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book brings awareness to the medical crisis the world, especially the US, is facing and the different aspects that play a role in it. I was aware of how the medical system works because of my schooling, but The Elusive Body brought up different points that I had not considered. There were also several great examples that solidified the points being made. There were several citations that backed up the authors claims.
I overall really enjoyed this book! It wasn’t the best nonfiction I’ve read because at times it felt a little like I was reading a textbook, but it is definitely in my top favorites list!
📖The Elusive Body by Alexandra Sifferlin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book brings awareness to the medical crisis the world, especially the US, is facing and the different aspects that play a role in it. I was aware of how the medical system works because of my schooling, but The Elusive Body brought up different points that I had not considered. There were also several great examples that solidified the points being made. There were several citations that backed up the authors claims.
I overall really enjoyed this book! It wasn’t the best nonfiction I’ve read because at times it felt a little like I was reading a textbook, but it is definitely in my top favorites list!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This is a really important book for library collections. Diagnoses are such a difficult thing for patients, caregivers, and physicians, and this book looks at both problems and solutions for this crisis. I thought the chapter on AI as well as the one on the physical exam were most interesting. So many doctors not even performing one before making diagnoses, not asking for the right blood work, etc. And generative AI, seemingly the exact opposite, is helping doctors but also hindering them with its imperfections.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews