General Practice Today: A Practical Guide to Modern Consultations / Edition 1

by Jane Wilcock, Grace Mutton

Overview

General Practice Today　explores the GP consultation in the context of external 'stressors' and 'helpers' that doctors use to make best clinical decisions. Over the last 30 years there has been a move towards mandatory training on legal aspects, risk scores and guidance. Additionally, with widespread access to IT there has been a huge growth in the information doctors need to know and manage. Yet today's GP has never been more time-poor or under so much pressure. All these outside considerations can seem challenging and remote for the doctor sat with their patient; yet in today's reality they have never been more important. This book offers insight into the practical impact and importance of these external factors. It offers advice on everything from law, technology and time management to mental health issues, ethics, religion and culture, exploring how to determine which issues are relevant to each individual consultation.

Packing each chapter with realistic examples, author Jane Wilcock draws on her own extensive experience to help GPs make considered, contextual decisions that enhance the health and well-being of their patients. This book is essential reading for any General Practitioner, allied health care practitioner or trainee preparing to practice in our complex modern world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138035737
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/02/2018
Pages:	172
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr Jane Wilcock, BSc. (hons.) MBChB FRCGP PGCertMedEd. MA H.Ed. SFHEA is an experienced GP working at Silverdale Medical Practice, Salford CCG. She is year assessment lead and community clinical tutor at University of Liverpool School of Medicine.

Table of Contents

Foreword. Introduction. Before the patient enters the consultation. Inner consultation skills. Non-verbal and verbal consultation skills. EBM. Risk scores and guidelines: which ones and why. Accessibility within a consultation. Who writes them – conflicts of interest (gifts and sponsorship). Grey/ unpublished trials - Big Pharma and conflicts of interest. How to use them. Statistics in medicine with analysis examples. Statistics and interpretation – what is truth? Personal bias. Ethics in the consultation. Legislation. Consent. Capacity. Special cases: vulnerable adults and children. Carers and family members. Translators. Gifts. Sex, contraception and abortion. End of Life and DNR. Mental Capacity Act and best interests. Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA). Advanced Directives (AD). Deprivation of Liberties (DOLs). Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults. Safe-guarding children. Benefits. Harms. Autonomy. Justice. Aristotle’s Virtues. Doctor patient relationships. Chaperone. Treating family and friends. Cultural and religious influences. Duties of a Doctor. Record keeping (phone consultations benefits and pitfalls). Contextualising to the patient. Investigations. Management plans – non medical patient centred. Teams and communication within a practice and outside agencies. Communication, timing, replies. Prescribing. Polypharmacy. Multiple diagnoses with examples of potential problems and solutions. Patient views. Hurdles to patient accessing doctors. Patient influences i.e., journalism. Patient understanding and opinion forming. Long term adherence: factors for and against. Reaching an agreement and planning. Conclusion. Cases illustrating use of the outer consultation framework to enhance clinical decision making. Long term care and enjoyable careers.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Vincent F Carr, DO, MSA, FACC, FACP (Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences)
Description: This book from the U.K. discusses various aspects of consulting in general practice or, in other terms, considerations in one's daily office practice of medicine.
Purpose: Written for general practice trainees and young general practitioners, the book discusses many situations that one may encounter that may not have been emphasized in training programs.
Audience: While the stated audience is those in training and in their early years of practice, there is much wisdom in the concepts outlined in the book for anyone in practice to read and think about.
Features: The book has four main sections: law and regulations; the consultation; knowledge and evidence; and ethics and behaviors. Chapters cover topics such as capacity and the mental capacity act; consent; confidentiality; behaviors that aren't logical; medical statistics; religion and culture. There are many clinical scenarios followed by in-depth discussions and some definitions of common terms that sometimes are used out of context.
Assessment: This is a highly engaging book with a great number of important, thought-provoking concepts clinicians may encounter in their everyday practice of medicine.

Doody's Review Service

This book reflects the ever-changing landscape of general practice; it's a resource that can be used before, during and after a consultation to allow the busy clinician to prepare prior, or be directed to a more in-depth resource as required. Selina Walsh, Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Registered Midwife MSc, MA, BSc (hons) DPNS, Clinical ANP Manager, Silverdale Medical Practice

Practical advice is certainly forthcoming in most of the book, such as a handy list of links to the best sources of information and risk calculators that GPs would do well to have on their desktop. I’d recommend reading this book sooner rather than later! Pearce Cusack, GPST1, Logan Practice, British Journal of General Practice , 2018

This book reflects the ever-changing landscape of general practice; it's a resource that can be used before, during and after a consultation to allow the busy clinician to prepare prior, or be directed to a more in-depth resource as required.Selina Walsh, Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Registered Midwife MSc, MA, BSc (hons) DPNS, Clinical ANP Manager, Silverdale Medical Practice

Practical advice is certainly forthcoming in most of the book, such as a handy list of links to the best sources of information and risk calculators that GPs would do well to have on their desktop. I’d recommend reading this book sooner rather than later! Pearce Cusack, GPST1, Logan Practice, British Journal of General Practice , 2018

From the Publisher