Ep24: Social Medicine – Themes from Congress 2017

05/29/17 • 29 min

It's estimated that socioeconomic (SES) factors are responsible for half of a population's health and wellbeing status. In comparison, medical services might determine only a quarter of health outcomes. Better targeting of social services and health resources is key to addressing this—but it's not just a macro-level problem, according to Professor Ross Upshur FRCPC of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. He says that merging medical records with SES markers will help physicians manage inequity at every consultation via 'social precision medicine'. In his opening address at Congress, he also spoke about how codes of ethics in medical practice have changed over the years.

Associate Professor Sue Woolfenden FRACP is a paediatrician in the Sydney Children's Hospital Network, and spoke at Congress explaining how the biological and social determinants of health are entwined even before birth, with effects accumulating at every stage of development. Her research for the UNSW School of Women and Children's Health reveals why some culturally and linguistically diverse communities don't access antenatal services and pre-school care, and what clinicians can do to make services more accessible.

The podcast also features Dr Brett Sutton FACTM FRSPH, Deputy Chief Health Officer of Victoria, who participated in a Congress session discussing health advocacy, and dealing with issues that might conflict with political or media interests.

Production
This episode was produced by Mic Cavazzini. Music from Comma ('Between the Sunset and The Sea'), Gillicuddy ('Adventure Darling'), Blue Dot Sessions ('Downhill Racer'); photo courtesy iStock. The production manager was Anne Fredrickson.
Editorial feedback was provided by RACP Fellows Dr Philip Britton, Dr Rebecca Grainger, Dr Joseph Lee, Dr Marion Leighton, Dr Alan Ngo, Dr Phillipa Wormald, and Advanced Trainee Dr Aaron Wagen.

Please visit the RACP website for a transcript embedded with citations. Fellows of the College can claim CPD credits for listening and additional reading.

Please visit the RACP website for a transcript embedded with citations. Fellows of the College can claim CPD credits for listening and additional reading.

Previous Episode

Ep23: Managing Autism in the ED

Patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can present unique challenges for the emergency physician. As these patients often have trouble making sense of their own emotional and physical states, they can become very distressed when experiencing pain. Many are also limited in their language abilities, and therefore can’t communicate verbally what is wrong

In this episode of Pomegranate, carer Annette talks about raising her teenage grandson Aaron, who needs continual care. Consultant paediatrician Meenakshi Rattan FRACP (Campbelltown Hospital, NSW), and psychiatrist Kenneth Nunn FRANZCP FRACP (Children’s Hospital Westmead, NSW) share the techniques they use to calm distressed patients living with autism and make medical assessments. They also describe the appropriate sedation that might be used for the most agitated and aggressive cases, and how gaps in the transition of patients to adult care might be filled.

Production
This episode was produced by Mic Cavazzini. Music from Blue Dot Sessions ('A Path Unwinding'), Loch Lomond ('From Here to Iceland', 'Violins and Tea'), Chris Zabriskie ('Out of the Skies, Under the Earth'); photo courtesy iStock. The production manager was Anne Fredrickson.
Editorial feedback was provided by RACP Fellows Dr Pavan Chandrala, Dr Tessa Davis, Dr Rebecca Grainger, Dr Michael Herd, Dr Paul Jauncey, Dr Joseph Lee, Dr Marion Leighton, Dr Sherina Mubiru, Dr Alan Ngo, Dr Ellen Taylor and Dr Phillipa Wormald, Advanced Trainee Dr Katrina Gibson and Mr Quentin Abraham MNZPsS.

Please visit the RACP website for a transcript embedded with citations. Fellows of the College can claim CPD credits for listening and additional reading.

Next Episode

Ep25: Dealing with Uncertainty – Part 1

Uncertainty can be frightening for patients and doctors alike, but it's an unavoidable fact of medicine in every specialty. In this two-part story, we hear from a GP, a paediatrician, a surgeon and a rheumatologist about how they navigate the grey areas of diagnosis and treatment, and maintain a patient's faith throughout.

In this episode, we examine the culture within the profession and general public that expects nothing less that perfection in medicine—technology that appears to make everything soluble, and pressure on doctors to back their hunches or to be heroic in intervention. We also ask whether hospital training might inadvertently shelter younger doctors from the experience of complex, chronic conditions, and how the simplicity of protocols can be misleading.

In the second episode, we look at the stigma and disorientation experienced by patients with medically unexplained syndromes. While the definition of functional disorders still causes some debate, behavioural strategies for intervention can often have a great impact on the lives of these patients.
Guests
Dr Louise Stone FRACGP (Australian National University)
Professor Phil Fischer MD (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota)
Professor Ian Harris RACS (Liverpool Hospital, UNSW)
Dr Rebecca Grainger FRACP (Wellington Regional Rheumatology Unit, University of Otago).

Production
This episode was produced by Mic Cavazzini. Music from Transient ('Vodka', 'Damascus'), Ben Carey ('Calico', 'Ghost Limb'); photo courtesy iStock. Recording assistance from Ryan Smith and Mark Flaherty. The production manager was Anne Fredrickson.
Editorial feedback was provided by RACP Fellows Dr Paul Jauncey, Dr Marion Leighton, Dr Tessa Davis, Dr Michael Herd, Dr Sherina Mubiru, Dr Pavan Chandrala, and Dr Alan Ngo.

Please visit the RACP website for a transcript embedded with citations. Fellows of the College can claim CPD credits for listening and additional reading.