PA Advocates for Patient Intuition, Vigilance
In women’s health, it’s often the quiet, persistent symptoms and even quieter instincts, that may signal the need for urgent care.
For Board Certified PA Adrianna Kiafoulis, DMSc, MSPAS, PA-C, who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology, learning to trust the patient’s voice has become one of the most powerful tools in her diagnostic toolkit.
“I’ll never forget a presentation where a mother described losing her baby to a missed diagnosis of HELLP syndrome,” Kiafoulis said. “Her only symptom was a vague complaint: ‘something doesn’t feel right.’ That story continues to shape how I practice.”
This Women’s Health Month, Kiafoulis is urging colleagues to pay close attention to not only clinical data but also the words and body language of their patients, especially when those patients don’t fit the textbook presentation.
Kiafoulis is an OB-GYN Surgical PA at Montefiore Medical Center – Einstein Weiler Campus in the Bronx, New York, who practices exclusively inpatient care, including labor and delivery, OB triage and postpartum care. She also dedicates time to teaching medical students and residents.
“Even early in my career, I learned to never overlook overt patient concern,” she said. “If something feels off to them and especially if they come back again because of it, I take it seriously, even if the initial workups are normal.”
When she worked in outpatient gynecology, Kiafoulis became particularly attentive to symptoms like bloating, early satiety or urinary frequency.
“These can be early signs of ovarian cancer,” she said. “Simply asking, ‘Is this new for you?’ can open the door to critical diagnoses.”
Her message is that subtle doesn’t mean insignificant.
“Listening to both verbal and nonverbal signs from the patient can save lives,” Kiafoulis said.