Tag: communication

We all have blind spots in our fields of vision, that can be mapped. This is a known fact in Medicine. What is not so well known or accepted is that we as doctors also have blind spots, not just in our visual fields but in our perceptions of life, that are influenced by our beliefs and ideals.

I recently read an article (1) suggesting that sitting is satisfying, for doctors and for patients. The article stated that: “Sitting at a patient's bedside is one of the...

I recently read an article stating that nearly half of patients who were surveyed online admitted they don’t tell doctors potentially life-threatening details of their history. This figure may...

Medicine has a language all of its own – a combination of Ancient Greek, Latin, people’s names, made-up words and acronyms – but what is the purpose of that...

This piece is a departure from my usual missives on physician health and suicide. I want to share an experience I’m sure many readers have had, perhaps in a...

I read an article (1) recently on the nocebo effect, which is the opposite of the placebo effect. When a person expects a side-effect of a medication or treatment,...

As a profession, medicine is beginning to be aware that we must care for the whole person, if we are to truly practise the art and science of our...