title: People, not cases.
abstract: While attempting to find out why so many of our elderly patients could not be discharged from hospital, we again observed the value of a knowledge of the patient's social background. Not only was it of great help in making a diagnosis and planning therapy, but it also stimulated our interest in the patient as a person, and was thus of mutual benefit to doctor and patient.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D005191:Family Characteristics; D006701:Home Nursing; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012934:Social Isolation