About MyThoughtBook
MyThoughtBook publishes the part of medicine that does not fit in a discharge summary. Doctors write about the consultations that changed how they practise — often the ones they got wrong. Patients write about what the same illness was actually like from the inside.
Where a condition has both, we put the two stories in the same collection on purpose. A doctor's account of breaking bad news and a patient's account of receiving it are describing one event, and they rarely agree about what mattered in it.
Who writes here
Doctors register with their specialty and are approved by a moderator before anything they write becomes public.
Patients register and write under a pen name or their first name — never a full name. Every patient story is read by a moderator before it is published.
Two kinds of story
Patient journeys follow the arc of an illness or an episode of care.
Reflections are shorter pieces about practice, or about living with a condition, that are not tied to a single episode.
Our privacy standard
Writing about illness always involves somebody. Our rules differ depending on whose story it is.
When a doctor writes about a patient
Before publishing, the author must confirm the account is de-identified and shared with consent. Posts must not contain:
- Patient names, initials, or nicknames
- Hospital numbers, insurance numbers, or any record identifier
- Dates of birth, admission or death, or other precise dates
- Photographs showing faces, or any identifiable image
- Addresses, workplaces, or other details that could identify an individual alone or in combination
When a patient writes about their own care
Your story is yours to tell. The people in it did not choose to be written about, so before publishing you must confirm that the story is yours to share and that it does not identify anyone else. Patient stories must not contain:
- The names of doctors, nurses or any other staff
- The name of a hospital, clinic or ward
- The names of other patients you met
- Record numbers, insurance numbers, or photographs of letters, charts or documents
You are welcome to be critical of your care — much of the most useful writing here is. Criticise the system, the process and the words that were used. Do not name the individual.
Moderation
Every patient story is reviewed before publication. Moderators can unpublish any story that falls short, and readers can raise concerns with the editorial team at any time.
Not medical advice
Everything published here is one person's experience. It is not medical advice and must not be used as a substitute for consulting a qualified health professional.
Accessibility
MyThoughtBook is built to be fully operable from the keyboard. Press ? anywhere to see the shortcuts.