RVTS4GP's podcast

Welcome to this very special podcast episode where we discuss in-depth the recent Medical Journal of Australia supplement collection of five research articles highlighting the successes of the RVTS programme. I am joined by RVTS CEO Dr Pat Giddings and Assoc. Professor Belinda O'Sullivan from the University of Queensland who conducted the research that led to the publications.   This episode will be of interest to anyone concerned about General Practice rural workforce shortage, those wanting to know how to support GP registrars in rural and remote areas, the special ingredients required in a successful remote supervision model, the training and support of Overseas Trained doctors to gain GP fellowship and providing meaningful First Nations Cultural training and support for GP registrars.     This is a long episode, so grab your coffee or plug-in as you drive to and from work to hear the research findings detailing what has made RVTS so successful in achieving impressive workplace retention as well as fellowship success for the past, nearly 25 years.   Timestamps are noted below in case you want to fast forward to an area of special interest but I thoroughly recommend you taking the time to listen to the whole episode as there are many hidden gems.   Have a great day.  Dr Meryl Nicol    The link to the MJA supplement is here and a published editorial in Insight+ is here    Time  Notes  00.16  Introductions  1:41  How did the publication come about?  3:10  How is RVTS different as a GP training provider?  5:23  Location-based training - benefits to communities and participants  5:39  500 doctors to 350+ communities  6:02  Research results - reported benefits of communities and participants  7:38  Policy maker gains - Closing the Gap, Rural work force and Cruck review  8:52  Overseas trained doctors or IMG's and keys to success  11:03  Comfort  11:42  Confidence  12:15  Competence  13:21  Belonging and face to face workshops  14:01  Bonding  15:25  RVTS support, Overseas trained doctor satisfaction  20:57  RVTS supervision model  25.32  RVTS - how cost effective is it?  29.12  Retention years of return  30.14  Years of service in the community of RVTS registrars  34.08  Hidden costs of locums  36.15  70% of registrars are inland not coastal  37.53  Targeted recruitment model - rural workforce solutions for remote and very remote locations  46.56  Contribution to First Nations Health and Reconciliation Action Plan  49.48  RVTS Reconciliation Action Plan  52.21  Cultural mentor research findings  53.05  Surprises for the evaluator -multilayered support  55.22  Cumulatively, NOT a small programme  56.29  Scalability  57.41  Best practice model for supporting doctors especially IMG's in resource-poor environments,  58.26  Transferable model to other disciplines  58.47  Making a difference  59.25  Wonderful to work with the team at UQ  1.00.36  Final comments from Assoc Prof Belinda O'Sullivan  1.02.38  Final thanks       

In this episode of RVTS4GP's, we have two excerpts taken from our popular first-year webinar on Men's Health. The presenter is Dr Justin Coleman, a very experienced GP currently working in Brisbane in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Justin has a vast experience in medical education, including being a co-editor for Murtagh's General Practice.   The two topics reviewed briefly in this episode are Gynaecomastia followed by Androgen Deficiency.   References: The Healthy Male for Health Professionals and Healthy Male Clinical Summary Guides RVTS resources for RVTS GP registrars: Log-in required to RVTS online: Men's Health Part 1, Alex, Angus, Joe Part 1, Joe Part 2, Mark Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed the episode so that others can find us. 

This episode is Part 2 of a two-part conversation with Associate Professor Dr Chris Hogan, addressing how to stay safe in our practices when dealing with agitated, distressed or potentially dangerous patients. Listen to tips, tricks and wisdom from Chris, gleaned from forty years of rural, general and hospital practice.   This is an important topic that GP registrars are advised to discuss with their supervisors.  In this episode we explore unexpected violence, practical tips to ensure a safe environment, the difficulties of sedation, and doctor's self-care.   Trigger Warning: In this two-part series we discuss some serious episodes of violence in the GP setting. If you have been impacted by violence or threat in any way, please consider getting some help and debriefing with a trusted person. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast, including but not limited to, opinions, statements or perspectives are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of RVTS. References:   Mental Health Emergencies Summary: Assoc. Prof. Chris Hogan  LITFL Behavioural Emergency Management   Business Security Information Kit – Victoria Police  RACGP: Ensuring your Practice is Safe and Secure: Security 

In this episode, we sit down for Part One of a two-part conversation with Associate Professor Dr Chris Hogan, addressing how to stay safe in our practices when dealing with agitated, distressed or potentially dangerous patients. Listen to tips, tricks and wisdom from Chris, gleaned from forty years of rural, general and hospital practice.   This is an important topic that GP registrars are advised to discuss with their supervisors.  Trigger Warning: In this two-part series we discuss some serious episodes of violence in the GP setting. If you have been impacted by violence or threat in any way, please consider getting some help and debriefing with a trusted person. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast, including but not limited to, opinions, statements or perspectives are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of RVTS. References:   Mental Health Emergencies Summary: Assoc. Prof. Chris Hogan  LITFL Behavioural Emergency Management   Business Security Information Kit – Victoria Police  RACGP: Ensuring your Practice is Safe and Secure: Security    

Filling out certificates seems to constitute an increasing part of a GP's job. The variety and sheer number of different forms to be familiar with can be difficult for GP registrars starting out in General Practice in Australia. Certificate completion requiring a degree of urgency, can occur unexpectedly in the middle of an already busy day. Certificates can be time-consuming and challenging, especially if you are not exactly sure what your obligations are, and what you can and cannot write!! In this episode, in response to questions from our GP registrars, we explore the issue of writing "Life Extinct" and "Cause of Death" certificates. We dived into the webinar archive and have combined edited excerpts from two different webinars.   The first half of this episode is taken from a webinar from 2019, presented by one of our very own medical educators, Dr Mike Eaton. This part covers “Life extinct” and “Death certificates” and what you can get paid for! The second half, ( from 11:41 ) contains edited excerpts from a recent 2023 webinar given by two Medico-legal Advisers with MDA National, Dr Libby Harris and Dr Julian Walter. They presented a webinar for our first-year registrars looking at many common medicolegal problems that GP's face, and this excerpt about Death Certificates has been extracted from that presentation.   To maintain privacy and full participation by registrars in our webinars, all comments made and questions raised by registrars during these webinars, have been fully edited out. Please like and subscribe to our podcast, on the podcast app of your choice, to ensure you don't miss out on further published educational content. Have a great day! Dr Meryl Nicol

In this fourth and final episode from our 2023 Grand Round series, we hear a short excerpt from the Grand Round highlighting the views of an RVTS Board member and experienced rural GP and Public Health practitioner, Dr Jacki Mein. Dr Jacki discusses teamwork, workforce shortages and rural generalism.     RVTS 2023 Grand Round Series: Ever wondered why doctors choose to work in rural settings and what would encourage them to stay? In our 2023 RVTS Grand Round, we explored this very topic with the National Rural Health Commissioner, Adjunct Professor Dr. Ruth Stewart.  Alongside her, four RVTS registrars and supervisors shared their personal experiences and challenges in Rural Health, shedding light on specific barriers they faced to working in rural health, along with the positives of working in a rural community that have encouraged them to stay.   This ends our series of four short excerpts from the RVTS Grand Round 2023.  Please like and subscribe so you don't miss out on further educational content. 

In this third episode of our 2023 Grand Round series, we hear a short excerpt from the Grand Round highlighting the experiences of one of our dedicated RVTS supervisors, Dr Akil Islam. His journey into rural health was via a rurally bonded medical student scheme for Australian medical graduates. His experiences highlight the joys and challenges of living and working rurally in General Practice in Far North Queensland and discusses motivation, fatigue, health advocacy and ethics.  RVTS 2023 Grand Round Series: Ever wondered why doctors choose to work in rural settings and what would encourage them to stay? In our 2023 RVTS Grand Round, we explored this very topic with the National Rural Health Commissioner, Adjunct Professor Dr. Ruth Stewart.  Alongside her, four RVTS registrars and supervisors shared their personal experiences and challenges in Rural Health, shedding light on specific barriers they faced to working in rural health, along with the positives of working in a rural community that have encouraged them to stay.     This is the third of four episodes.   Please like and subscribe so you don't miss out on the final episode in this series and for further educational content.   

In this second episode of our 2023 Grand Round series, we hear a short excerpt highlighting the experiences of Dr Thilan Walgamuge , a previous RVTS registrar, now a fellow of the RACGP, General Practice owner and regional business award winner. Dr Thilan highlights some very practical aspects of what could make it easier for people to settle and work as a GP in rural areas and some of the many challenges of running a practice in an environment of continual work-force shortage.   Dr Thilan also shares his journey transitioning from being a hospital specialist overseas to working in Australia in General Practice as an International Medical Graduate ( IMG ), also known as an Overseas-trained Doctor in Australia.  This is the second of four episodes in this 2023 Grand Round Series.  RVTS 2023 Grand Round Series: Ever wondered why doctors choose to work in rural settings and what would encourage them to stay? In our 2023 RVTS Grand Round, we explored this very topic with the National Rural Health Commissioner, Adjunct Professor Dr. Ruth Stewart.  Alongside her, four RVTS registrars and supervisors shared their personal experiences and challenges in Rural Health, shedding light on specific barriers they faced to working in rural health, along with the positives of working in a rural community that have encouraged them to stay.      Please like and subscribe so you don't miss out on the other episodes in this series and other educational content.

Ever wondered why doctors choose to work in rural settings and what would encourage them to stay? In our 2023 RVTS Grand Round, we explored this very topic with the National Rural Health Commissioner, Adjunct Professor Dr. Ruth Stewart.  Alongside her, four RVTS registrars and supervisors shared their personal experiences and challenges in Rural Health, shedding light on specific barriers they faced to working in rural health, along with the positives of working in a rural community that have encouraged them to stay.  The dialogue delved into the obstacles of rural workforce and potential strategies to address them. Given the RVTS team's extensive expertise in retaining rural workforce, the 2023 Grand Round provided a treasure trove of practical insights and real-world concerns.  In this episode we hear a short excerpt from the Grand Round highlighting the experiences of Dr Emmon Raza Mubbashir,  a recent RVTS registrar, now a fellow of the RACGP. We hear about her journey into rural health as an International Medical Graduate ( IMG ) also known as an Overseas-trained Doctor in Australia.  This is the first of four episodes in this 2023 Grand Round Series.  Please like and subscribe so you don't miss out on further episodes and other educational content. 

Hypotheticals: The Near Misses that haunt us all  - Part 1 “To err is human” and as GP's, we all make mistakes. In this excerpt taken from our recent Grand Round 2022, we look at the mistakes that we make and look at some key strategies for managing those difficult situations and tips for how to prevent them. It is run in a “hypothetical “ manner where we look at a case and hear from a panel of experts as to what they would do and how they would respond.  On the panel are Dr George Cerchez, a GP experienced in the fields of quality, safety and accreditation, Ruanne Brell, a senior lawyer with Avant, and Dr Ameeta Patel, a Medical Educator with RVTS with an interest in doctors health and wellbeing. In Part one, we hear about a case of a missed investigation result and what could or should have happened, as well as discussing the issue of open disclosure.  ( Apology: As this episode was originally presented online with powerpoint, there is a small section  ( 3-4 mins ) of this podcast that isn't ideal as you are missing some information about the fictional medical record.  The link to the video version is here )  Resources that may be of interest to you: Human Factors in Accidents : M F Allnutt  Adverse Event Reporting (Avant) Blaming individual doctors for medical errors, doesn't help anyone - University of Sydney How to say sorry: (Avant )      5: General Practice Ethics: Disclosing Errors: RACGP

“To err is human” and as GP's, we all make mistakes. This is Part two in a two part series from our recent Grand Round 2022, where we look at the mistakes that we make and look at some key strategies for managing those difficult situations and tips for how to prevent them. It is run in a “hypothetical “ manner,  where we discuss a case and hear from our panel of experts  Dr George Cerchez, a GP experienced in the fields of quality, safety and accreditation, Ruanne Brell, a senior lawyer with Avant, and Dr Ameeta Patel, a Medical Educator with RVTS with an interest in doctors health and wellbeing.  In this excerpt, we hear about a solo doctor in a small town making a mistake by giving a child an antibiotic that they had an allergy to. We discuss small town issues, team dynamics, getting away from a “dobbing-in” culture, the normalisation of deviance and lots more!!  We strongly recommend you listen to Part one before listening to Part two!  Resources that may be of interest to you: Human Factors in Accidents : M F Allnutt  Adverse Event Reporting (Avant) Blaming individual doctors for medical errors, doesn't help anyone - University of Sydney How to say sorry: (Avant )      5: General Practice Ethics: Disclosing Errors: RACGP

This is Part 2 of a 3 part series on Common GP Presentations As we continue looking at Common GP Presentations, we discuss the initial approach to 3 more patients that present with conditions that are frequently seen in General Practice. 

There are certain presentations we see commonly as GPs. At this time of the year, with new GP Registrars starting training, we know that the common can seem daunting to those new to general practice, and that common presentations have common pitfalls.  In this webinar excerpt from a few years ago, I discuss some common presentations with Meryl Nicol, a previous RVTS Registrar, now one of the Medical Educator team.

2021 was another challenging year! Yet here we are on the other side, stronger than before.  Looking back at the year that's been:  COVID hasn't stopped us from keeping everyone engaged.  Webinars, online activities and resources, and teleCTVs supported registrars in training, along with the usual remote supervision and support from the admin and education teams.

Following on from Part 1 of the RVTS Grand Round : Derm “Stump the Chump” with Associate Professor Jim Muir, we present Case 2 from the webinar earlier this year. In this case, Jim again correctly identifies the case presented, gives a useful list of differentials, and discusses the investigations recommended for a patient presenting with a itchy, scaly, patchy erythematous rash.

The 2021 RVTS Grand Round focussed on Dermatology with a round of “Stump the Chump” with living legend and well known QLD dermatologist, Associate Professor Jim Muir.  Various derm cases were presented to Jim to determine the diagnosis. Needless to say, Jim was spot on each time, and we all learned from his insights and discussion.

This month, in our final excerpt from the “Tropic Medicine” webinar, we look at Rickettsial Diseases with Prof McBride. This is part 3 in a 3 part series. We've discussed Melioidosis and Leptospirosis and Dengue Fever in the previous excerpts.

The first RVTS workshop of the year was held as a virtual event during April.  Registrars are located all over Australia, and were able to join the workshop from their homes or practices, joining in for high quality training without the risks of travel in our current climate.  The 3 day event for the 3 cohorts covered various topics including GP Emergencies, Dental Emergencies, Obstetrics, Paediatrics, Palliative Care, Ophthalmology, Care Plans and more.

Dengue fever is not endemic in Australia, however, we do have mosquitoes that can spread the virus and outbreaks do occur due to imported cases.  Severe dengue (also known as dengue haemorrhagic fever) is a potentially lethal complication, affecting mainly children.  Diagnosing it early and initiating supportive treatment can be life-saving.  It’s therefore worth reminding ourselves of this important tropical infection.

If you live in FN Queensland and a patient presents feeling unwell with a fever after a flood, on your differential list, you’d need to consider Melioidosis and Leptospirosis.  If you don’t actually live in northern Australia, you may feel you need to brush up on your knowledge of those 2 differentials. And you’re in luck... This month we listen in on a webinar excerpt with Professor John McBride who presented on the topic of “Tropical Medicine”. This is part 1 of a 3 part series, where Prof McBride discusses melioidosis and leptospirosis. 

RVTS Medical Educators (MEs) all share a passion for rural, remote, and Aboriginal Medical Services, registrar education, and supporting doctors on their General Practice journey. The ME team was recently interviewed, and each one was asked to identify something that would contribute to registrar success in general practice training in 2021.

The 2021 training year has just begun at RVTS, and we’ve caught up with Dr Pat Giddings, RVTS CEO, GP and GP Obstetrician, to talk about the year that’s been and the year ahead.  Dr Giddings shares what he believes makes RVTS successful, and gives his “TOP TIP” for Registrars for 2021.

What a year it’s been.  As 2020 draws to a close, I will not even attempt to comment on what has been a most extraordinary year, except to say that we would like to salute the RVTS Registrars, supervisors and staff for their courage and perseverance, their passion and understanding, their strength and commitment and their support for each other.  We acknowledge the uncertainty and the sacrifices of 2020, in all its forms, and the character shown in overcoming every obstacle that has come your way.

As we observed NAIDOC Week in November, many RVTS registrars and staff used the opportunity to attend (mainly online) events to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  RVTS Acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands and seas on which we live and work, and pays respect to elders: past, present and future.  Events during NAIDOC week remind us about our commitment to consider a First Nation perspective in all training activities at RVTS. As you may be aware, according to the strategic plan of RVTS, the purpose of RVTS is to improve Australian health by training and retaining medical practitioners working in Rural, Remote and First Nation communities by facilitating access to medical education and training in circumstances where it may otherwise not be possible, providing flexibility and innovation in meeting the medical training needs of diverse communities, and, as mentioned, to consider a First Nation perspective in everything we do.

 “Rational pathology emanates from a rational doctor”.  Pathology is useful in assisting with coming to a diagnosis, monitoring patients and for screening.  Unnecessary tests can cause harm to patients and add significantly to health costs, so considering carefully what pathology we order is vitally important in General Practice. In this month’s post, we listen in on the discussion with Dr Mike Eaton during a webinar with some of the second year GP registrars.

We’re always looking for ways to be better GPs, and to improve our success in fellowship exams. We’ve previously discussed some tools… and here are 2 more: Random Case Analysis and Role Play. Role play and random case analysis can be used in training and as part of supervisor discussions, and can actually be quite fun, while mastering important skills. Choosing a random case and discussing it, considering the various competencies that were required in the consultation, and role playing to practice incorporating some suggestions can be a very beneficial exercise.

Being brilliant at the basics will come in handy when there are no clinical pathways or algorithms that apply to the patient in front of you. This was the take home message from the second case at the 3rd annual RVTS Grand Round Webinar. 

RVTS recently hosted the 3rd annual RVTS Grand Round Webinar.  We were delighted to be joined by Art Nahill and Nic Szecket from IMReasoning, amongst others,  who discussed a case in the form of a “cognitive autopsy” - with all the benefits of hindsight.  The discussion highlights that diagnostic errors occur surprisingly commonly!

Adolescents contribute significantly to society.  Their energy and passion add to the fabric of communities. As GPs, we have a unique role to play in adolescent health and health outcomes. This month, Dr Johanna Lynch shares some insights into considerations in adolescent mental health.

The use of personal protective equipment is accepted for the high-risk environment of theatre, intensive care unit and on some hospital wards. But the role of the face mask is controversial in the community setting. Should general practitioners wear face masks? Should patients at high risk of serious outcomes from infection with COVID 19 wear a face mask? Is it necessary for the general population to wear a face-mask?

We’ve reached May in a year that will certainly go down in history! It’s been a tough year to be a GP in Australia with many challenges indeed! How are you coping? How are you looking after yourself? This month, 2 of our RVTS registrars, Leigh-Anne Bingham and Jeni Davila Mendez, discuss self care. Leigh-Ann and Jeni give some specific advice on how to do this during a pandemic.

I don’t have to tell you that much has happened in the last month since our last post! COVID-19 is front and centre stage. Today we’re focussing on video or teleconferencing skills. Many resources are already available to support GPs in this new consultation style. We will be focussing on the actual consultation process.

Do research papers and different research models confuse you? Do you struggle to understand research in general practice? Have you wondered why and when different research methods are used? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re in the right place! Dr Louise Stone shares her wisdom about research during this webinar excerpt to GP registrars in a very understandable way, using practical examples to gain insight into the when, where, why and how of research in General Practice.

Hi - I’m Ronda Gurney. Welcome to RVTS4GPs.  This is the second part in the 2 part series on sports injuries. Part 1 dealt with common injuries in adults, and this month, we’ll take a look at children and adolescents.  We're sharing excerpts from the webinar with Dr Cunningham - there are a few radiology images that are discussed during the webinar, so if you’re listening to this as a podcast, you may want to save it until you’re NOT driving, so that you can look at the images. Thanks Corey.

2019 has come to an end, and we’re in that reflective mood, as is common at this time of the year :) The last 12 months have been jam-packed: and while we’re enjoying a brief lull in proceedings, we’ve been reflecting…

As GP’s we all manage musculoskeletal injuries in athletes. Most of us will only see recreational athletes, while our presenter for this month’s post, Dr Corey Cunningham, sees professional and elite athletes. The principals are the same, and as GPs we can give advice, and investigate and manage most injuries. Sometimes, though, specialist opinion is required.

Genetics is gaining prominence as time goes by, and as GPs, we need to keep up with the developments so that we can use the latest knowledge to our patient’s advantage, and also answer questions that may come our way (either from our patients or in exams!) In this month’s webinar excerpt, we listen in on Dr Linda Mann’s webinar for a great overview of some of the issues and new tests that are around.

Every registrar I speak to wants to know: What’s the trick in passing Fellowship exams.  That’s a good question - with a complex answer. It’s similar to “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer is “One bite at a time”.  How do you pass the exams? One step at a time. Unfortunately, it’s not the answer people want. Registrars want me to just tell them what to read and which exam prep course to do.  If only it were that simple! From our experience, we’ve got a few tips and suggestions. We’ll discuss an approach to passing you fellowship exams in 5 steps.

Toxicology: getting the basics right is essential for good outcomes.  As GPs, we see toxicology as poisoning or overdose … or extreme pharmacology. Call it what you like, but if you’re in front-line medicine, you’re going to see it frequently.

This month’s webinar excerpt is essential listening - an honest, realistic and practical look at GP self care. We listen in on the discussion led by Dr Louise Stone, a GP who practices in Yarralumla (ACT). Dr Stone is a clinical Associate Professor at the Academic Unit of General Practice at ANU Medical School, and she  gives valuable insight into how to survive and thrive as a GP,  sharing many pearls of wisdom.

We’re excited to share this special edition of RVTS4GPs with you, featuring the recording of the recent 2019 RVTS Grand Round "Stump the Chump" with Dr Casey Parker.  The case presented is a 16 year old girl who comes in with her Aunty. Casey is asked to unravel the puzzle. Dr Casey Parker is based in Broome in WA and is well known for his blog and podcast broomedocs.com. He discusses various aspects of this case that need to be considered, with input from Marlene Drysdale (RVTS's Cultural Educator) and Dr Jacki Mein (a previous RVTS registrar based in Cairns). It was a challenging case, with an interesting discussion, and plenty of learning points.

Imagine that you’re a GP registrar, and your supervisor has sat in on one of your consults, and now wants to give you feedback. Have you ever considered how open you are to feedback?

Dizziness is a common presentation to general practice (between 1 - 15% of consultations)1. When patients present complaining of dizziness, it’s important to gain an understanding of exactly what they mean, as various terms are used to describe different clinical presentations. In this month’s webinar excerpt, we share a short snippet from the webinar on Dizziness presented by Dr Rob Park, a GP on the Sunshine Coast in QLD. Dr Park outlines an approach to patients with dizziness to determine potential causes.

Workers Compensation and Return to Work is a topic that is challenging for registrars, but an area where we as a GPs can have a positive impact on the outcome, just by the way we approach the patient. A common presentation, like acute back pain following an injury at work, can become chronic and complicated if not managed appropriately, if incorrect information is provided, or if yellow flags are not identified and addressed early. Listen to the webinar excerpt with Dr Roger Lai to find out how to better manage these patients, and improve outcomes for workers and employers.

In this month’s webinar excerpt, we’re talking about Menopause with Dr Elizabeth Farrell, a gynaecologist and the Medical Director of Jean Hailes for Women's Health. Dr Farrell outlines important definitions, explains how the diagnosis of menopause is made, and highlights some of management options available so clearly and simply that you’ll wonder what all the fuss around menopause is about!

Welcome to 2019! We’re kicking off with one of those tricky subjects in general practice: the overlap of pain and addiction. As GPs, we aim to relieve pain and minimise harm, but occasionally patients get addicted to medications we prescribe. How can we become part of the solution? One of the RVTS supervisors, Ian Kamerman, speaks about this in a very practical and real way in the webinar recording excerpt this month. This area is certainly where the “art” of general practice comes into play. Registrars are encouraged to discuss this topic further with their supervisors to refine their skills in managing opioid addiction in the community.

About 70 children die of sepsis per year in Australia and New Zealand. It is therefore important to have systems in place for early detection of severe infection. Developing an approach to avoid diagnostic error is an important task for each GP. In this episode, we hear from an RVTS Medical Educator, Taras Mikulin, who looks at a General Practice risk management system for use in Childhood Sepsis. Taras discusses a practical  6 step system approach to avoiding diagnostic error.

Uncertainty in general practice is unavoidable. We deal with uncertainty in more than half of our consults. Coping with the uncertainty is an essential skill for GPs. This month we again listen in on a webinar about Dealing with Diagnostic Uncertainty with Marlene Pearce, a GP based on the Sunshine Coast, QLD. This is the final part of a 3 part series, based on the webinar delivered to RVTS registrars by Marlene. In Part 1of ‘Uncertainty in General Practice’, Marlene spoke about using clinical reasoning to assist, what to do when we’re stuck, as well as what pitfalls to avoid. In Part 2, we consider what contributes to the uncertainty we experience. In this final part of the webinar, we look at how best to deal with this uncertainty.

We were fortunate enough to have Art Nahill and Nik Szecket from IMReasoning join us for our inaugural RVTS Grand Round Webinar for a STC case discussion. One of our medical educators, Dr Lorri Hopkins, provided the case, and Art and Nic demonstrated their clinical reasoning every step of the way.

We deal with uncertainty every day in general practice. This month, we review 5 cases illustrating various reasons or things that may be contributing to uncertainty in general practice.

In this 3 part series, we listen in on a webinar with Marelene Pearce, a GP based on the Sunshine Coast, QLD. We discuss “Diagnostic uncertainty in General Practice”, looking at reasons why there is so much uncertainty in general practice, and how to cope with the uncertainty. In this episode, Part 1, Marelene talks about using clinical reasoning to assist with the dilemma, what to do when we’re stuck and what pitfalls to avoid. She discusses the model we use in general practice, which is so different to what we were taught as medical students.