32 | New Scientist | 14 September 2019
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WHEN I heard the premises of
two new medical shows that use
crowdsourcing to help people
with undiagnosed conditions,
I was extremely sceptical. The
medics have failed you, so why
not ask some random people
what they think the problem is?
As it turned out, I was both
right and wrong. The first show,
Chasing the Cure, uses a live talk
show format to highlight several
people seeking a diagnosis. Host
Ann Curry asks about their
symptoms, while messages and
texts arrive, offering support or
suggesting diseases.
A panel of doctors sifts through
the contributions, debunking the
(mostly) irrelevant. This portion
seemed geared towards increasing
viewer and online engagement,
rather than finding a diagnosis.
But the professional hunt for a
diagnosis is also performative,
with doctors listing potential
causes and crossing out ideas.
Tests are done off-screen, but they
are rarely referred to. At the end,
the doctors join Curry and the
participants to deliver their verdict.
The tone is odd, with a slickstudio, game show music and
manipulative interviews that
mine the emotions of people in
real pain. It makes a spectacle of
the tough work doctors do when
they diagnose rare diseases.
I hated every minute.
So I’m not sure why I decided
to give Netflix’s Diagnosis a try,
but I’m glad I did. It is based ona column for The New York
Times Magazine by a doctor, Lisa
Sanders, about medical mysteries.
In it, she opened up cases to
anyone with information to share
that could help reach a diagnosis.
Each episode is centred on
one person. Sanders talks them
through her process and shares
video messages she receives. Most
come from informed sources:
medical students who recognise
the symptoms, vets who have seen
such problems in animals andWhat’s wrong with me? Netflix’s Diagnosis is the best of two new series that
create a real-life House – with added crowdsourcing. It’s a moving show that sets
out to help people find their longed-for diagnoses, says Chelsea Whyte“ Watching the relief
wash over Angel
Parker’s face was very
moving, a powerful
reminder about hope”TV
Chasing the Cure
TNT and TBSDiagnosis
NetflixChelsea also
recommends...TV
House
Amazon Prime
In this drama, surly
doctor Gregory House
solves medical mysteries.
Inspired by doctor
Lisa Sanders, who was a
consultant for the series.Podcast
Sawbones
Maximum Fun
A comedic take on
historical medical practices
by Dr Sydnee McElroy and
her husband Justin McElroy.people who have similar diseases.
The first episode is about Angel
Parker. She’s a 23-year-old from
Nevada with searing pain in her
muscles when she exerts herself,
who has spent nine years seeking
a diagnosis. We see her cry in pain,
watch the worry on her parents’
faces talking about her illness and
hear her concern about how to pay
the hospital. The documentary
style of the show creates real
empathy for the difficulties
of people with chronic pain.
The answer to Parker’s troubles
comes from an Italian paediatric
hospital specialising in genetic
testing. The doctors there had
seen similar symptoms and they
offer to sequence her genome,
diagnosing CPT deficiency, a
condition that prevents the body
using certain fats for energy.
Watching the relief wash
over Parker’s face as she heard
her diagnosis was very moving
and a powerful reminder about
hope. This young woman’s life
was changed just by knowing what
was wrong and how to fix it. Her
doctors also clearly cared about
finding a diagnosis.
At the beginning of the first
episode, Sanders says: “One of the
tools doctors use is other doctors
in the room. We’re making the
room that much bigger.” But don’t
discount the public – Parker met
other people with rare diseases
who told her they could live well
with a similar genetic condition.
Parker was let down by the
US healthcare system for nearly
a decade. This show and those
who responded gave her what
she needed. “For the longest
time, no one even cared. And
now, I have the biggest support
system,” she said. ❚COURTESY OF NETFLIXLisa Sanders attempts to
solve medical mysteries
in DiagnosisThe TV column
Chelsea Whyte is a reporter
for New Scientist based in
Boston, Massachusetts.
Follow her on Twitter
@ chelswhyte