Diagnosing patient's preference

Is it just me, or did I miss something? The editorial with the above title in BMJ this month make me chuckle, then sigh and shake my head!

http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e7745?etoc=

Surely this is what we spend our days in General Practice land doing already? I'm sure I was marked on it when I submitted videos for MRCGP nearly 10 years ago? Why are the words communication skills not used?

I particularly like the tantalising comments about the possibility of reducing costs by asking patients what they really want. I also liked the editorial comments about making the patient part of the team, making the decision together with clinicians.

I did, of course listen to the podcast and the authors seem very genuine and again, there is no mention of General Practice or any mention of communication skills training.

I guess if there is any change in secondary care as a result of these papers, that must be a good thing. I'm just amazed this is where they are at.

Reading

Squeezing in some medical reading, which is harder for me than podcasts as you have to sit down!

I'm enjoying Will Self's Booker Prize short listed 'Umbrella' although there are no chapters and keeping up with the narrative requires a lot of concentration. He has a lot to say about medical care, labelling stigma and institutionalisation. I wonder how non medics find it to read. I know he wrote this when he was unwell, then found out to have Polycythaemia Rubra Vera and I've read articles by him about his experience as a patient-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/oct/21/will-self-blood-disease

I keep reading other people's opinion of Ben Goldacre's Bad Pharma, once I've chewed through Umbrella that will be the next big read on my list!