Editorial comment

Anecdotes like the one reported by Vanni et al. are bewitching in our times. Together with the history, physical examination is the doctor’s best kept secret, powerful, portable, fast, cheap, durable, reproducible and fun1,2, but it must be allowed out of the closet. Young physicians trained in physical examination are dismayed upon first encountering the “hands off” culture of US medicine. The value of “laying on of hands” is often confined to its power to improve communication and trust between doctors and patients, somehow “connecting” them better. This phenomenon is notable, but it is not enough to convince the sceptical among us about the value of a complete clinical examination.