Choose to be Curious Ep. #312: Curiosity in Emergency Medicine, with Dr. Chris Ford
Jan 28, 2026
Dr. Chris Ford, Milwaukee ER physician and public health advocate, brings frontline perspective on curiosity in chaotic care. He discusses curiosity as a clinical tool, using inquiry to build trust and catch hidden problems. Practical patient questions, team safety checks, and curiosity’s role against burnout are highlighted in lively conversation.
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Curiosity Builds Trust And Better Outcomes
- Curiosity in emergency medicine builds trust and invites patients into care.
- Dr. Chris Ford says curiosity uncovers why communities hurt and improves outcomes by involving patients in decisions.
Tell Clinicians What Changes From Your Baseline
- Be your own advocate in the ER by telling clinicians important history and medication details.
- Dr. Chris Ford urges patients to explain how this presentation differs from prior ones and list meds to change diagnosis or testing.
Redundancy Prevents Premature Diagnostic Closure
- Repeated questions by different team members guard against diagnostic anchoring.
- Chris Ford explains patients may recall omitted details between encounters, so redundancy reduces premature closure.