Toddler’s unexplained injuries lead to Australian-first skin fragility diagnosis
A suspected child abuse case in a two-year-old girl turned out to be an Australian-first presentation of a rare epidermolysis bullosa subtype. Doctors say their…
Tag: Art of Medicine
‘What’s wrong with you?’: The CPD activity that bombed
Years ago, the need to identify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients in general practice was recognised as an important step in helping to improve…
I messed around with my health and missed the obvious: I still don’t have a GP
The rash started two, maybe three, years ago. A few spots of colour on my cheeks, nothing to worry about. × Welcome to AusDoc. Enabling…
Why can’t GPs be friends with their patients?
I believe that placing blanket restrictions on personal relationships between doctors and their patients is detrimental to our ability to deliver quality care. In the…
The wild reason an orthopaedic surgeon was calling about my patient’s breast biopsy
Timing can be everything in making the diagnosis of a rare condition. It was the weekend, so my patient presented to the local hospital ED.…
Anger and resentment can fester in practices when we avoid difficult conversations
In my early 20s, I struggled with my weight. Looking back now, I can see how much of this was due to anxiety. × Welcome…
My experience has taught me that complaints shouldn’t be feared
Complaints in healthcare are serious business. Not only are patients and families increasingly likely to complain, the avenues for expressing dissatisfaction are more accessible and…
Is limiting access to healthcare the solution to doctor burnout, cost blowouts and patient harm?
Recently I’ve been considering the concept of unlimited growth. In medicine, unlimited growth is the hallmark of cancer, in which cells continue to multiply without…
Prescribed reading: 16 books that inspire doctors, chosen by you
From a book on hypertension written by two economists through to a hilarious hospital classic, doctors say books have saved them and even inspired their…
‘My spidey senses tingled’: the terror of the needle in a haystack diagnosis
One of the many terrors of general practice is the fear of missing a needle in a haystack. How do we find the potentially harmful…
