We have ways of tracking patient deterioration. So why aren’t we using them to save lives?
I like to look back at my career — both the successes and the failures. Although I am now non-practising, I believe I have insight…
Opinion
Unique doctor-written opinion and analysis
I watched my mother die a slow death: VAD laws need to change
I have just spoken the eulogy for my mother, who died aged 99.333 years of age. She was a tough old bird, having knocked on…
No, Lou, it was not a perfect day… it was a seriously crappy day
What is the opposite of the Lou Reed song, Perfect Day? Did he write a little number called One Particularly Crappy Day? × Welcome to AusDoc.…
Australia is being menaced by managed care: We’d be foolish to ignore the warning signs
They say everything is bigger in America — cars, coffee cups, and, as I recently saw firsthand, corporate control over healthcare. The US health system…
I’d rather deal with drunks and criminals than a bullying supervisor: My message to junior doctors
Not all that long ago, I watched a surgeon publicly dress down a young registrar for writing up a bag of magnesium for a post-op…
My patient demanded a 2am telehealth consult: She thought her request was reasonable
Over the years, I have seen how people expect doctors to remain reasonable no matter how unreasonable they themselves are. For example, a mother with a…
A win for patients or medicalising ‘normal’? Why I’m uneasy about GPs diagnosing ADHD
The recent announcement that NSW GPs will be allowed to diagnose and treat ADHD raises concerns for this old silver fox. Over the past few…
Hospital should be a last resort for elderly patients, not the default destination
The recent AusDoc article on elderly patients languishing in hospital beds without needing acute care inspired me to think about the changing roles of hospital…
Doctors are writing thousands of medicinal cannabis scripts for chronic pain, but is it a waste of time?
More Australians than ever are being prescribed medicinal cannabis. Medicinal cannabis refers to legally prescribed cannabis products. These are either the plant itself, or naturally…
Let’s talk about sex in general practice
I was walking down a shopping aisle when I spied a sign for ‘Period Care’. Haven’t we come a long way now, able to mention…
