Do you feel, that the Stethoscope loses importance in medical practise?

Hi,

I've got the impression, that the Stethoscope's importance in the medical examnation practise goes back. The last few times, I saw my familiy doctor (female), I wasn't stethed at all; the same with my partner. And during my last stay in hospital, neither! Have you got similar experience and where do you see a reason for it?

Thank you for consideration...

It would probably depend on why you are seeing your doctor. If you go in for a sore foot, there's probably not a need for him/her to use the stethoscope.

I was hospitalized last year and had it used on me a lot, probably because my sats were low.

....there's one thought which just is coming into my mind: Is it possible, that the use of the Stethoscope depends on the habbits in the country where you live?

I live in Germany, and thus, my impression bases on my experience in that country! Perhabs, in the anglophone countries, you are luckier - and more often auscultated ?!? Any idea, how we could find out this ?

Becoming a doctor is still very hard. youre required to have a college degree (abitur im germany)with 1.0 to 1.3 (depending on state) and you can only boost it with a medical education or being on a waiting list and hope that you can start university with 1.5 or so. then you need the money for it and in the end it depends on your will and focus to learn and the willpower to make it through. so doctors are very rare while the patient numbers explode. more population, a higher quote of elderly people and more people who visit a doctor for unimportant things. most doctors have their days filled with appointments for elder people, while the people who just need a sick leave get squished in between. many doctors are full, cant take new patients. and i guess thats the problem why they dont examine like they should, sadly. they dont have the time :/

I was recently hospitalized for a minor issue and I had it used on me by the nurses on both shifts daily as well as by two doctors pretty much daily. I had a nice soldier standing at attention lol

Probably goes along with the decline of the physical exam in general. So much of medicine now seems to be lab diagnostic based.