Status Updates From 100 Cases in General Practice

Sometimes the illness has to be treated without a firm diagnosis

A large part of the art of medicine is knowing when to stop investigating.

It is important to consider a patient’s emotional ability to respond positively to lifestyle advice

Remember the old aphorism: ‘to cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always’.
An incurable, and perhaps untreatable, patient still merits your attendance, support and comfort, even if you can think of little to say.

Resist the temptation to chastise patients for failing to attend earlier. We must offer medical care when the patient chooses to ask for it, not when we think it would do most good.

Patients who have not visited their doctor for years might have several undiagnosed disease processes going on at the same time.

Although ‘common things occur commonly’ the unusual can happen and the GP needs to be aware that the unexpected may occur.

A simple presentation from a teenager is an opportunity to explore other issues that may be just as important.

Do not assume a diagnosis based purely on history and local epidemiology

Prepare for possible bad news early in the consultation