One in five Aussies fail to name a single MI symptom, ‘alarming’ findings show
One in five Australians cannot name a single MI symptom, according to a study published 10 years after the demise of a national awareness campaign.…
Tag: Communication
The year that was: Insidious words ethicists are telling doctors not to use
Healthcare terminology that belittles or blames patients is outdated and needs to change, say researchers.
The obsession with strict professional boundaries fails both doctors and patients
Within a short time, I listened to an ABC Radio National program about how doctors communicate with Indigenous patients, and I completed an online module…
Quiz — What to do when you receive late reports from a surgeon?
A surgeon colleague’s medical reports are consistently delayed in reaching you. What should you do? Take the quiz: × Welcome to AusDoc. Enabling and empowering…
Whether a thinker or a feeler, this is how to manage boundaries in general practice
As I call out for Ruth* in the waiting room, she is flicking through a mountain of paperwork. She is a relatively new patient for…
The human touch that went missing when we locked down
Imagine sitting at a table where there is a breakfast buffet. It is already a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. Then a voice starts singing. More…
Medicine is full of paradoxes, but there are also glimmers of hope
What happens when you combine a global pandemic with unprecedented access to instant mass communication in a culture that is suspicious of expertise and authority?…
20 questions is a fun game – but not during a consult
I often get calls requesting a medication for a recurrent problem, like a sinus infection or UTI. And sometimes, after I send something in and…
My big problem with outcome-based funding
I recently read an article in which the author suggested health reform through a shift to outcome-based funding of general practice (as opposed to fee-for-service)…
Some patients’ expectations are just too great
My grandson Nathan, aged two and a half, had a recent interaction with a medico — in this case, a vet. This interaction has helped me…
