--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is much more important to know what…" description: "\"“It is much more important to know what sort of patient has a disease than what sort of disease a patient has.”\" — William Osler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/william-osler-2992_disease_it-is-much-more-important-to-know-what-s_1504869.png" --- # It is much more important to know what sort of patient has… ![“It is much more important to know what sort of patient has a disease than what sort of disease a patient has.” quote by William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/william-osler-2992_disease_it-is-much-more-important-to-know-what-s_1504869.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/william-osler-2992_disease_it-is-much-more-important-to-know-what-s_1504869.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/william-osler-2992_disease_it-is-much-more-important-to-know-what-s_1504869.png) > ““It is much more important to know what sort of patient has a disease than what sort of disease a patient has.”” [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes diagnosing the patient’s characteristics before labeling the disease. **In simple terms:** Know the patient before the disease. Key Takeaway Prioritize patient context. Themes medicine diagnosis patient‑centered care Mood educational clinical Type analytical compassionate When to use this quote - primary care - hospital rounds - telemedicine - research studies Key Concepts clinical reasoning holistic health personalized medicine Questions to Reflect On - How do you learn a patient’s story? - What biases affect your diagnosis? A Different Perspective Over‑focus on disease categories can miss individual nuances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Medical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) ## Related quotes > [It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippocrates/it-is-more-important-to-know-what-sort-of-person-has-a-disease-than/) [Hippocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippocrates/) > [Cancer is a disease where the patient can contribute a great deal of help himself if he or she can retain their morale and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carman/cancer-is-a-disease-where-the-patient-can-contribute-a-great-deal-of/) [George Carman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carman/) > [The patient is the one with the disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-shem/the-patient-is-the-one-with-the-disease/) [Samuel Shem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-shem/) > [Physicians think they do a lot for a patient when they give his disease a name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/physicians-think-they-do-a-lot-for-a-patient-when-they-give-his/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [We need to start treating the patient as well as the disease,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patch-adams/we-need-to-start-treating-the-patient-as-well-as-the-disease/) [Patch Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patch-adams/) > [Doctor Johnson said, that in sickness there were three things that were material; the physician, the disease, and the patient: and if any two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/doctor-johnson-said-that-in-sickness-there-were-three-things-that/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The physician should not treat the disease but the patient who is suffering from it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-physician-should-not-treat-the-disease-but-the-patient-who-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Indigestion: A disease which the patient and his friends frequently mistake for deep religious conviction and concern for the salvation of mankind. As the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/indigestion-a-disease-which-the-patient-and-his-friends-frequently/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“Typical of the medical profession,’ said Larry bitterly. ‘They can’t even spot a disease until the patient is twice life size.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/typical-of-the-medical-profession-said-larry-bitterly-they-can-t-even/) [Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/) > [Love is the Only disease that patient enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-the-only-disease-that-patient-enjoy-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In the middle of chaos, a patient once whispered, ‘Thank you for seeing me.’ And I’ve never forgotten that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj-gabriel/in-the-middle-of-chaos-a-patient-once-whispered-thank-you-for-seeing/) Aj Gabriel > [...The likelihood of treatment (of any one patient) increases with the length of time since the origin of the disease. ...Those cases in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hardin-b-jones/the-likelihood-of-treatment-of-any-one-patient-increases-with-the/) [Hardin B. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hardin-b-jones/) > [An untreatable diagnosis is a statement about the medical system, not the patient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brennan/an-untreatable-diagnosis-is-a-statement-about-the-medical-system-not/) [Barbara Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brennan/) > [A hospital patient can expect one medical error every single day of any hospital stay. Malpractice suits are numerous enough that one may reasonably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-saul/a-hospital-patient-can-expect-one-medical-error-every-single-day-of/) [Andrew Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-saul/) > [When I came to this country in 1958, to be a dying patient in a medical hospital was a nightmare. You were put in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-kubler-ross/when-i-came-to-this-country-in-1958-to-be-a-dying-patient-in-a/) [Elisabeth Kubler-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-kubler-ross/) ## More by William Osler > [As it can be maintained that all the great advances have come from men under forty, so the history of the world shows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/as-it-can-be-maintained-that-all-the-great-advances-have-come-from/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [No man is really happy or safe without a hobby ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/no-man-is-really-happy-or-safe-without-a-hobby/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [But whatever you do, take neither yourselves nor your fellow-creatures too seriously. There is tragedy enough in our daily routine, but there is room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/but-whatever-you-do-take-neither-yourselves-nor-your-fellow-creatures/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [Without egotism and full of feeling, laughter is the music of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/without-egotism-and-full-of-feeling-laughter-is-the-music-of-life/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [The librarian of today, and it will be true still more of the librarians of tomorrow, are not fiery dragons interposed between the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/the-librarian-of-today-and-it-will-be-true-still-more-of-the/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today's work superbly well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/the-best-preparation-for-tomorrow-is-to-do-today-s-work-superbly-well/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [Throw away all ambition beyond that of doing the day's work well. The travelers on the road to success live in the present, heedless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/throw-away-all-ambition-beyond-that-of-doing-the-day-s-work-well-the/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [The very first step towards success in any occupation is to become interested in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/the-very-first-step-towards-success-in-any-occupation-is-to-become/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/the-trained-nurse-has-become-one-of-the-great-blessings-of-humanity/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/he-who-studies-medicine-without-books-sails-an-uncharted-sea-but-he/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [In seeking absolute truth we aim at the unattainable and must be content with broken portions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/in-seeking-absolute-truth-we-aim-at-the-unattainable-and-must-be/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [Shed, as you do your garments, your daily sins, whether of omission or commission, and you will wake a free man, with a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/shed-as-you-do-your-garments-your-daily-sins-whether-of-omission-or/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [He who knows syphilis knows medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/he-who-knows-syphilis-knows-medicine/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [Laughter is the music of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/laughter-is-the-music-of-life/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [Beware of people who call you 'Doc.' They rarely pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/beware-of-people-who-call-you-doc-they-rarely-pay-their-bills/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) [Explore all 143 William Osler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) ## More Disease quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [The strains and stresses suffered by the individual in society are grounded in the normal functioning of that society (and of the individual!) rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/the-strains-and-stresses-suffered-by-the-individual-in-society-are/) [Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. 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That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/ring-out-false-pride-in-place-and-blood-the-civic-slander-and-the/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [My identity shifted when I got into # recovery . That's who I am now, and it actually gives me greater pleasure to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/my-identity-shifted-when-i-got-into-recovery-that-s-who-i-am-now-and/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) > [If you are a white male, you don't deserve to live. You are a cancer, you're a disease, white males have never contributed anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-ignatiev/if-you-are-a-white-male-you-don-t-deserve-to-live-you-are-a-cancer/) [Noel Ignatiev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-ignatiev/) > [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Religion is a disease. It is born of fear; it compensates through hate in the guise of authority, revelation. Religion, enthroned in a powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-amos-dorsey/religion-is-a-disease-it-is-born-of-fear-it-compensates-through-hate/) [George Amos Dorsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-amos-dorsey/) > [To some degree Satanism is purely a kind of disease of Christianity. 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