Diagnosis (2019) User Reviews

Interesting but a little drawn out

[mariaknowles · 7/10 · 9 October 2019]

Fascinating, upsetting, encouraging. The poor people trying to find out what's wrong with themselves or their kids! It looks exhausting and overwhelming.

The crowd sourcing idea is great. Reaching out to the whole globe to get help. People are arguing; if it is not professional medical advice isn't that negligent? Well, sometimes it IS a Dr or med student replying, sometimes a member of the public, often thousands reply and offer suggestions. Who cares if they're professional if it's just a way of getting some more information and new options? The ideas that seem viable are followed up at hospitals to see if tests prove it one way or another and it has proven to be a life changer for some. Each episode could be 15 minutes shorter though as they do drag on a little.

What it does also show is how awful the health care system in USA is. People with extreme conditions that noone can diagnose being charged thousands for testing that proves nothing? I'm sorry but how far behind the times! Almost all first world countries have a free healthcare system for situations just like this and that's highlighted when one episode shows some testing done free in Italy. You can pay to go private but being low income doesn't exclude you from getting medical help in most countries. How sad to go bankrupt over medical bills when noone can help you! There are some lovely, helpful doctors but they're hamstrung by a flawed system.

However, the good outweighs the bad in this series. It shows strangers coming together from all round the world to help people who are feeling overwhelmed by their illness. A good use for the internet.

Good show, disappointed in last episode

[karamarika · 8/10 · 1 October 2019]

Overall I enjoyed this show. The cases were mostly interesting. I do have a couple frustrations with a couple episodes though.

Firstly, Lachey (teen girl who won't stop vomiting all the time) and her mother were so difficult to watch. It's like her mother was so invested in her condition that she did not want her to get better. She got defensive when they suggested a diagnosis, as if she just wanted to reject every possibility so they could keep pretending like there wasn't a solution. There are people who like to be sick or have a close family member that is sick. They feed off of the attention they get from always being the "victim." I think that is definitely the case here. She never went to a treatment center that had excellent success rates. Why? No reason, other than the fear it might work and she won't get the attention anymore. So frustrating.

The second issue was with the last episode. They started making claims that women "of color" get treated differently by the "mostly white" doctors in the US. I am curious as to where in the US the doctors are mostly white. They are all Asian, Indian, and Midlle Eastern where I live. You might find one or two that are white. That's it. I think their claim is absolutely baseless and they are just making the claim to feed into stereotypes.

And what "color" was this woman supposed to be? I get that she is Hispanic of some sort, but she is most definitely not a color any darker than white. She used her supposed "color" as the reason that doctors thought her condition was all in her head. Of course a doctor would think that if all the tests are coming back negative and they cannot find a cause for your symptoms. Eventually that is where you end up, no matter what color, shape, or gender anyone is. I get so tired of people making everything about race or gender. Heaven forbid you ever accept that maybe - just maybe - people are making their judgements based on *you,* not just what you look like.

Rant over.

Great show, stubborn mom and teenager!

[ladymb · 8/10 · 19 August 2019]

Really great show. Spoiler though-- why were Lachey and her mom so stubborn to go to a non-invasive clinic where the worst that could happen is nothing will change, and the best outcome is being 100% better!?! Frustrating

Eye opener and inspiring

[candicesegal · 10/10 · 18 August 2019]

Amazing series not only delving into the world of medicine and the raw emotions and struggles of the people inflicted with rare and unusual conditions. All the episodes were incredible but episodes 2 and 4 (dealing with young children), had me in tears. A must see on Netflix.

OUTSTANDING

[kseeker2008 · 10/10 · 16 August 2019]

The power of crowdsourcing to search for a cure for an impossibly rare disease! Dramatic, emotionally powerful. I've only seen the 1st episode and this is a winner! Not to be missed!

I like the concept more than the execution.

[RockDad37 · 6/10 · 4 September 2019]

Some of the cases are fascinating, and the presentation is fine. There is some interesting human drama to observe in the way patients and family members behave through the process as well. I think my primary issue with the storytelling is just that they haven't allowed enough time to elapse to actually assess whether significant progress was made. That left almost all the cases with a feeling that nothing had really been resolved other than more tests to arrive at no firm diagnosis Given the alleged concept of the show, it doesn't seem like that should have been the case. Time is often the friend of a great documentary, and more time to follow up on some of the cases likely would have made this more interesting.

Some things are shocking. And it is not rare diseases.

[myotherpetisdog · 8/10 · 24 August 2019]

What really shocked me was to see how disconnected science from real life is. Andrea Meredith, a research scientist who spent her entire career investigating this particular gene: "I study KCNMA1 gene...for 20 years....unbeknownst to me, there had been a group of patients on Facebook, that all carry mutations in KCNMA1.." This is really shocking. How narrow focused minds of scientists are that in the year 2019 it never crossed their minds to see if there are people with mutations. It would have taken just few clicks on keyboard.

Could have been better.

[meryt-47365 · 6/10 · 11 September 2019]

An interesting project, but an overstretched tv-show. Each episode could have been 20-30 min shorter. The drama is prolonged to the extent that it becomes boring.

INCREDIBLE!!

[LobsterTailsWithButter · 10/10 · 17 August 2019]

I haven't even finished the series and I'm hooked. Diagnosis is the perfect example of how crowd sourcing can be beneficial. This shows that answers, for otherwise medical mysteries, are out there just beyond reach. It makes you wish there was an specific international database accessible to the medical community and public where they could chime in on unsolved illnesses.

*Spoiler* For example the woman who was researching the specific illness using mice and couldn't find a live human subject with the disorder? They had a Facebook group! How could she not find them via internet searching aka Google?? *End Spoiler*

This is a truly amazing series and I hope they continue with additional seasons.

Fantastic Concept, Frustrating Watch

[jakep3 · 7/10 · 22 August 2019]

I love the idea of asking the crowd for help on problems, it reminds me of Fold It. This is how all the problems we face today will be solved.

But I felt that they could have done less flying people around the world and filmed more cases. Too many of these people already had the solution and frustratingly wouldn't accept it, or there was simply none to be had. That's life, to be sure, but not an especially feel-good watch.

Phenomenal program born of a tragic reality.

[ayearinthelife · 10/10 · 16 February 2023]

I cannot criticise this show - the difference it's made to the lifes of the people that were involved is astounding. It highlighted something darker though...the state of healthcare in America, right now.

I live in the UK, which has a national health service that is currently in crisis due to under-funding and lack of resources. My partner is a medical doctor, I work in a hospital laboratory and from the first episode I was entirely perplexed as to how this poor girl had been suffering for ten years without a diagnosis.

Despite the struggles facing the NHS, patients presenting with these symptoms and conditions are afforded every conceivable test required to reach the root cause and obtain a diagnosis.

I literally cried when the girl in episode one spoke of being sued for $300 she couldn't afford to pay for a diagnosis that she never actually received. I cried again when Marta's brows furrowed in confusion when the subject of cost arose..."What do you mean? It's free." And so she travelled, half way around the world to receive a test that takes minutes to administer and hours to run, because no one offered it in the USA?

I can't believe the test isn't available. What I can believe, is that it is so expensive, and the condition so rare that it's a price that the majority of Americans are not able to justify to themselves or simply, to afford. Truly, truly tragic.

The USA laudetes having the best healthcare in the world...from where I'm standing, it's a developing country in terms of caring for its populace.

Michael Mosley's is Better

[tweeds-41328 · 7/10 · 19 April 2021]

Michael Moseley's What's My Diagnosis is a similar theme but more about the medicine and diagnostics rather than the "human story" (even though it's still there, it isn't the focus).

I like the concept of Diagnosis but I feel like there is a bit too much fluff.

What I do like is that this is a worldwide story so medical professionals from anywhere can come up with the answers.

You learn these diagnoses in first year med school

[smithsongary · 4/10 · 26 September 2019]

Disclaimer: I've only seen the first episode but I'm blown away at how stupid they make American doctors sound. I'm a first year medical student (in the US) and we've already learned about CPT-II and it's associated disorders. She didn't need to fly to Italy to get a couple of simple blood tests done. All she needed to do was change her diet for a little while to see if her symptoms resolved and she'd have her answer. Learned helplessness at its greatest right here.

Very interesting

[ssinai · 9/10 · 19 August 2019]

I just finished binge watching this over two days. Fascinating stuff. It presents both the best and the worst of medicine, and how serendipity and chance can mean the difference between life and death.

A very compelling new Netflix Series

[royhectorkabanlit · 10/10 · 21 August 2019]

I just finished watching this, and quite a compelling series, a real life "House" where instead of a brilliant but quirky Doctor solving Medical Mysteries, you have Lisa Sanders and the Crowd doing it.

The episodes involving kids and the war veteran I thought were the most touching to watch. Some like the hardheaded ones not so much, but overall just awesome to watch, it gives hope, joy and sometimes lessons as well.

I hope there will be several more seasons of this from hereon.

Could be, but did not live up to my expectations...

[ewwawatches · 6/10 · 3 January 2024]

In each of the seven episodes of the miniseries, we learn the story of a patient, or patients contracting a mysterious disease, who have come to Dr. Lisa Sanders for help. The diagnostician, who publishes medical articles in the New York Times and specializes in the most difficult cases, with the help of a forum on the Internet, helps them solve the mystery and find the right diagnosis.

In general, the series drew me in. I watched all seven episodes at once. The cases do indeed seem puzzling, unusual - by the way, this was to be expected, a little reminiscent of the series " House M. D.", which the doctor personally consulted, and this also presents the mysterious diseases themselves.

I think it's worth watching , "Diagnosis", it will appeal especially to fans of medical-themed productions. BUT there is a drawback. In some episodes there is more speculation than diagnosis and treatment. In addition, I was disappointed by the ending of most of the episodes. Patients whose mysterious illnesses were making their daily lives miserable and even life-threatening, for whom Dr. Lisa's help seemed to be a last resort, many times, as if nothing ever happened, the end simply gave up on the diagnosis and the further steps she proposed. Quite an unusual, not to say strange approach....

It's worth watching and forming your own opinion.

Episode 6

[myotherpetisdog · 8/10 · 26 August 2019]

Modern medicine and diagnostics nightmare "by the top specialists in the world".

1. The guy faints when he is SITTING and in the middle of discussing where to get coffee. He is NOT standing, his blood isn't pooled into his extremities, therefore not causing his BP to drop, he is not stressed. WE DISREGARD ALL that and still think it could be Vasovagal syncope.

Okay! Lets do Tilt Table Test.

2. "..typical scenario.... your blood pressure starts to drop...and his fainting caused by reduced blood flow to the brain...." , so TTT should show us what happens to his HR and BP when he is STANDING, BUT NOT TO THE FLOW OF BLOOD TO HIS BRAIN; remember, he faints in a sitting position.

In true Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), NOT VASOVAGAL SYNCOPE, a person faints while STANDING, BUT his BP remains NORMAL. Yes, HR goes up, blood pools into legs, BUT BP remains normal..and the person faints. In Vasovagal syncope, his BP DROPS. Who knows what is going on systemwide when a person experiencing Cerebral syncope.

3. In his case, he is investigated for Vasovagal syncope, not POTS. His doctor doesn't even mention POTS. Then he tells us that fainting is typically caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. Typically? Based on what ?? On assumption I guess. I don't see any transcranial dopplers (TCD) during TTT procedure. TCD is a non-invasive, painless ultrasound technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to measure the rate and direction of blood flow inside vessels. They don't use TCD during his TTT, yet make conclusions about blood flow!?!

4. So we have no idea if blood vessels in his brain constrict or dilate when he passes out.

The existing theories of cerebral blood flow autoregulation would have predicted a sudden cerebral arteriolar vasodilation at the time of syncope, in order to help preserve cerebral perfusion. Instead, what was uniformly reported was a sudden significant increase in cerebral vascular resistance (signifying arteriolar vasoconstriction) as measured by TCD, which occurred concomitant with the loss of consciousness. They even call it "A Paradoxic and Unexpected Response".

But it is not investigated in his (or most) case. So we don't know.

5. Did they consider association between Syncope and Myocardial Bridge? Myocardial bridging: A 'forgotten' cause of acute coronary syndrome. Was he investigated for that?

Yes, we all know stress exacerbate symptoms. But heart just don't stop beating out of the blue when a person is not stressed- playing board games or SITTING in a car and talking..

Lastly, why ALL cardiovascular test are performed when a person is in a supine position? People rarely, if ever, have a syncope or presyncope while being horizontal. To really know what is going on one has to replicate real life conditions, don't you think?

Outstanding my wife loves it

[brianchoi · 10/10 · 23 August 2019]

It's like an emotion rollercoaster that from going through the devastating heart breaking symtoms to the diagnosis then to the happy or at least enthusiastic ending. A crier to my girl.

Fascinating

[trimblecali · 9/10 · 1 October 2019]

If you love medical tv shows, this is a great docuseries for you. Very interesting and keeps you wondering.

Potential wasted

[bud_bundy44 · 5/10 · 5 October 2019]

I went into this with high expectations, like this would be an interesting detective-like story where the culprit is the disease - much like in House MD. Unfortunately reality is much more mundane than a tv show.

What's more, I felt that some of those stories where pretty boring because there wasn't much investigatory medical work to be done so they ended up showing all the rest of the interpersonal relationships almost to the level of a reality show.

A must watch!

[samalarae · 9/10 · 24 August 2019]

This show had me on an emotional roller coaster. Each episode is so well put together. I watched this show because I love science and the medical field is so mysterious and intriguing to me. It opened my mind to a whole new part of it, I just love it. I look forward to future seasons.

A powerful indictment of the health care system

[maggiel1972 · 8/10 · 26 August 2019]

On the surface, this show is about uncovering a particular patient's (theoretically rare) diagnosis. Across episodes, we see it's really about patients (or their parents) demonstrating self-advocacy and navigation skills as they maneuver from specialist to specialist.

There are many amazing things about modern medicine, but this is a profession still relatively young. Most of the patients are drawn into the crowdsourcing approach because their regular doctors have minimal knowledge about endocrine or neurological diseases. We are lucky to live in a time where we have access to the internet, and can track patterns and study on our own so that the patient can make a diagnosis. From this series my takeaway is that patients should not expect their doctor to "solve" a diagnosis for them. Be informed, advocate for yourself and do your own research.

Love this Show!!

[sherripadgitt · 10/10 · 25 August 2019]

I binged-watched in a few days...this was a very thought out series. The patients (for lack of a better word) were all interesting cases with fairly good endings coming from the project. This is a real project the New York Times put out in a column explaining cases of people with rare problems and no current or correct diagnosis. Real people can send their thoughts in via video on what they think may be happening. A lot of specialists and the general population responded. This is like a world-wide think tank experiment that has exceptional results. Each case is extraordinary with sometimes life-threatening symptoms, from paralysis, drop-syndrome, to heart-stopping patients. I highly recommend this show. I am looking forward to a second series on this.

Very interesting tv-show

[mmarianne · 8/10 · 29 August 2019]

Like many others, what got me into watching this show was the idea of dr.house! I mean, when watching those tv-shows about hospitals you (or I do) wonder who made all these illnesses up!

Well, now I know that no one did. It's just the way it is sometimes.

Also, from watching these episodes, I've come to realize that a lot of illnesses really don't have an answer - or a cure.

But within the show, I got worried about how some people won't do whatever it takes to get better.

In the case of Lashay I started to think after watching that the mother resembles someone with Munchausen syndrome by proxy. I get that creeping feeling that she doesn't want her daughter to be well again. I very much disliked that feeling and hope that I am wrong. Otherwise I am not sure that Lashay will ever get better...

I am not one to put blame on parents, but yes, the parents are not always in control either, like how Matts mother can't help who she is. I do know that when at the end of the show, Matt went to see her, my heart broke for her. She want this kid of her so much and she want him to be well but she is like a hurt little bird inside and I hope that maybe that they can be in therapy together for a little bit, so that they can unfold their relationship and perhaps Matt will get even better from it.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the series and hope for a second season.

Compelling Medical Mysteries

[robinweisgerber-739-664543 · 9/10 · 1 September 2019]

I really enjoy the intrigue in this medical mystery series. It really is amazing to see how many people out there can collectively help these patients find options and help diagnosing their maladies. Fascinating series, love to see more!