The importance of the "doorknob encounter"

How often, in all our work situations, is a vital piece of information mentioned by the client in passing, or sometimes never stated at all? Perri Klass has written a small article in the latest New England Journal of Medicine, entitled "The Moral of the Story". It's all about a child presenting with vomiting and an ear infection and the consultant prescribing antibiotics and the mother pausing at the door as she's about to leave and just mentioning that the child had fallen down a set of stairs the day before. The moral of the story turns out to be that successful practice comprises "knowledge, judgement, experience and luck", with a healthy bit of thoughtful communication thrown in.