The Final Diagnosis [Paperback]

"Scalpel...clamp...uh oh, we need some suction...suction, come on ... clear!" No this isn't ER, nor Chicago Hope, it's Arthur Hailey's riveting hospital suspense drama, "Final Diagnosis". This eye-gluing, can't-put-down novel is a novel like no other. If you like hospital shows like ER and Chicago Hope, then you're gonna like this novel as well, maybe even better. Hailey takes his audience behind the curtains in the hospitals that we norms leave all our hopes and health in, and brings us the true environment that surrounds our residential medicine men/women, from love, pride, money, ethics, and most importantly of all politics. This book mainly surrounds an aging pathologist, Dr. Joe Pearson,who's years of service at the Three Rivers Hospital are coming to an end. Colleagues nd adversaries feel that he may be a hazard to his patient's health. The main struggle lies within Joe to realize that he is through. Love seems to always find it's way into everything. In this novel love hits two surgeons who are "just friends" and a young nurse and a young pathologist. Overall this book is one everyone can enjoy, whether you read for the love the hospital drama or for the main issue your sure to enjoy.

In this book, Aurthur Hailey takes his readers behind the scenes in a hospital. He designs his characters carefully so that we will get to know them well and then learn to care about what happens to them next. The story itself is thrilling and flows well. In addition, the many things you'll learn about a hospital are fascinating and extremely interesting. This book won't take you long to read, and as soon as you start reading, you'll find you won't want to stop until you finish. As for all the other things in your life - they'll have to wait.

This book was first published in 1959 so it is definitely dated. It was Hailey's first book but was not published until after two other successful books of his were published. It is based on medical processes of that period but after World War II and a little later the breakthrough on DNA occasioned rapid changes in practice. A proper bedside manner did much to hasten recovery, not to mention causing healing in the first place but this was replaced by assembly line procedures and the use of biochemicals in treating most patients, the old time practices were discarded in favor of the new by the new doctors. Those doctors who clung to their old methods were replaced as soon as possible and despite their protestations and long time service. This is what occurs in "The Final Diagnosis." A well regarded hospital hires a new chief of practice because it has lost its standing and is sinking into a low tier of service. He begins to revamp policies and hires new doctors to regain the fading luster of a well run institution.
There is a board of directors who run the hospital, not manage it. They are a mixed bag, the chairman of the board is progressive but some of the board members are not, one of them who is a major contributor to the funds for running the hospital and making improvements is a close friend to the head of pathology, a conscientious doctor in his practice but who has failed to keep up with the more modern and improved practices. This doctor is well regarded and fights hard to retain his position. Threats are made by the fund contributor as to his response to any attempt made to replace his doctor friend. Then disaster strikes.
Another pathologist is hired to support the head of the department on an attempt to speed up lab results but the department head nixes such attempts from the new man and a premature baby dies as a result. Then an outbreak of Typhoid fever strikes; again this head pathologist is responsible, procedures to protect against such an occurrence are lacking due to his failure to ensure modern testing of new hires at proper intervals. There are many other shortcomings as well, customary tests are not being performed, files are not being updated, records are not kept. Something must be done.
This is the main drift of the book, however it is not about the pathology department alone, other doctors are examined and characterized but all according to the latest standards of the 1950's which dates the book and shows Hailey's failures as a writer. He seems to want to put too much into the book and pin it down to the latest as of his time, he does not seem to realize that medicine will change and what is new and earth shaking to him at the time of writing may be old hat shortly after publication. This is where the book falls down. Also in the love affairs of the doctors and staff, I think he has too much happening too fast with little distinction between love and lust, how are they distinguished? He calls it love when it may only be lust but on with the story, he has a tale to tell. Still it has its gripping moments.