>Reflecting on the latest expressed concerns about the overuse of
>antibiotics and the pressure from patients on us as GPs to prescribe
>the drugs in order for them to recover as speedily as possible I have
>unearthed an alternative of even greater efficacy:
Ah.... try dealing with that pressure in a 'fee-for-service' environment
where you goal is not so much to get the patient out the door, but get the
patient out the door happy.
About 30% of the patients I see (predominately A/H) have viral URTIs that
they think may need ABs. Having experimented with several stratigies for
getting them out the door quickly and happily I discovered the power of
looking in the eye and telling them to take panadol, rest and feel sorry
for themselves.
Its amazing - works every time. Giving them instruction to feel sorry for
themselves always makes them smile, and seems to be something they can take
away instead of a script!
I'm still struggling with what to do with the other stream of patients
unsuccessfully trying to extract benzo's and panadol/codeine 500/30 out of
me - much harder to get them out the door happy....
Erich
Dr Erich Schulz MBBS (UQ) Research Fellow
National Centre for Classification in Health (Brisbane)
School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology
Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove 4059, Australia.
Tel: 07 3864 5876 Fax: 07 3864 5515 Mob: 0419 023 709
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~cnlob/erich
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