A trainee’s day falls into one of two categories: emergency or elective work. Both follow a similar pattern: arrive, handover, see patients (ward round and review new referrals), clinic/endoscopy/theatre, handover, […]
Guest writers
Harrison Carter: Medical students’ perspectives on delivering frontline care are unique
Medical students rotate through clinical placements in their final three years of study. The timetables at medical schools are tailored to ensure that medical students experience different hospital environments, from […]
Rammya Mathew and John Launer: Holistic care is fast disappearing
GPs have considerable insight into the care that their patients receive as we are commonly the ones to instigate the acute admission. We also take over the ongoing care of […]
Gavin Newby: Reclaiming the lost art of lunch
When was the last time you had a proper lunch at work? I bet you are reading this munching a sandwich at your desk, or squeezing in a bit of […]
Matt Morgan: Sin-drome—the phenomenon of missing-diagnosis
“We’ve had a new admission into bed 3” “Great, I’ll be right there, what’s wrong with them?” “He’s got multiorgan failure but was intubated mainly for respiratory failure” “Ah ok, […]
Cristian R. Montenegro: Improving interactions between clinicians and patients
Sociology has tried, with mixed success, to define a realm of analysis that goes beyond the individual, and to grasp what is “in-between,” using names like “interaction,” “structures,” “communication,” or […]
The language doctors and medical journals use to describe dependence has a real effect on patients
Journals have a responsibility to communicate clearly in ways that benefit patients […]
The dual nature of hope at the end of life
Hope for cure has traditionally been the patient’s best friend and the clinician’s strongest ally. Clinicians may avoid discussing their patients’ poor prognoses with them for fear that this might destroy […]
Alain Braillon: Should pregnant women be tested for smoking?
While rates of smoking are slightly decreasing in some high-income countries, worldwide more and more women smoke, and 10 to 25% of women smoke during pregnancy. Smoking remains the first avoidable […]
Matt Morgan: The (free) elephant in the burnout room
As an intensive care consultant, the risk of “burnout” is ever present. Everyday, I will deliver devastating news to families when they least expect it. I will often make life […]