Avoid using medical jargon
Recently my friends and I have realised that we are using medical jargon without even noticing. We are medical students and are constantly learning new terms to describe our bodies, diseases, and treatments. We’ve had our head in textbooks for years now. We no longer…
What does ‘self-management’ mean?
The term self-management is a charged term in healthcare. For some patients’ they believe it means “do it yourself”, “you’re on your own” and worse still “we don’t have time for you”. So, no wonder people feel frustrated when self-management is brought into the conversation….
Online services in primary care
Things, as we know it, are changing. We hear time and time again on the news that we don’t have enough GPs. Many are leaving the profession because of stress and an extensive workload. Yet patient demand is still increasing year on year. We need…
Miscommunication- Alison’s Story
Alison’s breast cancer story shows how miscommunication has a long-lasting impact on emotional well-being and perception of care. Here’s Alison’s story and what she wants patients and healthcare professionals to learn from it. Alison’s Story Reflecting on the experience of my breast cancer diagnosis, I…
Preparing for online consultations
The NHS has been preparing to embed online consultations in primary care (GP surgeries) for some time (1). This is because online access helps meet the demands of the population. More people attend GP practices, and yet we have fewer GP’s. But the COVID-19 pandemic…
Preparing for Difficult Conversations
Preparing for difficult conversations with others is key. This blog will be helpful for healthcare professionals and a much wider audience. Additionally, patients and family members may also benefit from reading this blog. Sharing bad news or difficult information with patients and their families is…
Sharing Communication Teaching Resources
There has never been a greater time to pull together. Especially when we need to be creative in the way we teach and deliver communication skills training. Why re-invent the wheel though if we don’t have to? If we can share communication teaching resources online…
Part 3: Confirm a diagnosis
After seeing the doctor in the emergency department, an appointment was made for me to see a specialist doctor (Consultant) at my local hospital. I needed to see him to confirm a diagnosis and plan my care. I waited two weeks for this appointment. When…
Part 2: Reflecting on bad news
As I sit at home reflecting on the bad news I have been given I feel a little embarrassed. Even with my experience and knowledge, I had simply taken what this doctor had told me as fact; without question. The truth is, that when our…
Receiving bad news about cancer
Part 1: You have lesions in your lungs So, how did I end up receiving a bad news about cancer? Well, after a testing day of cycling, I ended up in the Emergency Department (ED) with a suspected broken back. What happened? I cycled through…