My patient swears colchicine is a panacea for her three painful conditions
My patient is no stranger to pain, but it seems that, over our past couple of visits, I have eliminated or mitigated all her painful…
Tag: Art of Medicine
Why Elon Musk may be right about the future of medicine
“Mark my words. AI (artificial intelligence) is more dangerous than the nukes.”— Elon Musk. The other day, as soon as I walked into work, already…
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…
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…
As my career as a GP comes to an end, I wonder, ‘Have I been a mug?’
The 31 December will be my last day in general practice. The Seekers’ signature tune The Carnival is Over is an appropriate epitaph. I’ve had…
Sharing burial plots to swabbing dogs: The strangest things patients have asked of GPs
After Dr Pam Rachootin told of her brief time as an Uber GP — when a patient asked her to pick up Woodroofe’s lemonade en…
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…
‘My patient tried to hit me with his cane’: GPs reveal fitness-to-drive tribulations
Most want clearer rules to avoid patient blame.
