Once the diagnosis to be treated is chosen, the physician needs to determine how to treat the patient's condition. In the case of sports medicine, the physician must choose the best options for reducing the symptoms of pain and swelling, promoting healing of the injured parts, and restoring normal movement and functionality.

Ideally, the diagnosis is the correct one, the physician prescribes the appropriate treatment or therapy, the patient follows the instructions, and the patient begins to get well. However, often the physician must start treating the patient before s/he is absolutely certain about the diagnosis. It often takes some time for the physician to know if the initial diagnosis was correct.

Therefore, in addition to planning therapy, the physician usually plans follow-up consultations with the patient to see if the patient is responding well to the treatment. If a treatment that was expected to work does not effectively address the problem, both the diagnosis and the treatment plan must be reviewed, and further tests can be performed.

Critique of the Treatment and Prognosis
You have already critiqued Dr. Chang's diagnosis. Now I would like you to analyze and critique Dr. Chang's treatment plan for Jenny Anderson. Using the attached critique template, you will first decide whether Dr. Chang addressed all of the important treatment elements that were necessary for this patient. Then, I'd like you to comment on whether she chose the best treatment options from those available to address the patient's health needs. Finally, I'd like you to check to be sure that Dr. Chang arranged for appropriate follow-up care and gave good advice to the patient regarding her return to sports activity.

I look forward to reading your opinions.

Sincerely,

Lee Mendoza, M.D.