-
Live Patients Lie
A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association advises that up to 80% of patients have lied to their doctor about information that could impact their health, including accurately describing their food options and how often they exercise. When survey participants explained their reasoning for doing so, they said that they wanted…
-
Do You Know the Signs of Seven Common Nutrient Deficiencies?
The hidden cause of common symptoms such as fatigue and muscle aches can be nutrient deficiencies – can you make a difference to a person’s quality-of-life by identifying them? Some cynics encourage us to think that nutrient deficiencies are a thing of the past, reserved for sailors trapped at sea. But even today, it’s possible…
-
Do we Play a Role in the Nutritional Interventions in Children’s Asthma?
A clinical trial led by LaTrobe University has shown that eating fish such as salmon, trout and sardines as part of a healthy diet can reduce asthma symptoms in children. The international study found that children who followed a healthy Mediterranean diet enriched with fatty fish had improved lung function after six months. However, with…
-
The Risks of Irregular Sleep
A new study on sleep patterns suggests that a regular bedtime and wake time are just as important for heart and metabolic health among older adults. In a study of 1,978 older adults publishing recently in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at Duke Health and the Duke Clinical Research Institute found people with irregular sleep patterns…
-
Have we lost the importance of touch?
Touch can show gentleness and compassion, or it can show carelessness or incompetence. Many of our patients feel that being touched is important to getting better. Gentle touching when examining an injured area, inspecting an irritated and angry skin patch or just comforting a person who hasn’t had an ideal medical diagnosis has become a…
-
NHMRC – Science Fact or Fiction?
Some scandalous issues have occurred behind the scenes. Australia’s peak medical research body, the National Health & Medical Research Council, has admitted under Senate scrutiny that they did not follow recognized scientific guidelines or standards in reviewing evidence on homeopathy, using an approach also applied to reviews of other natural therapies. The Homeopathy Review was…
-
Is Wellness Getting a Bad Rap?
How involved are you in your patient’s understanding of feeling well? Do you walk the talk in this arena? Let’s face it, “wellness” isn’t going to go away despite some of the medical backlash. In my view, wellness is at the intersection of science, medicine, and health. Simply, wellness means health and happiness. No matter…
-
Getting Involved!
How often are you asked for an opinion as to whether a particular test is worthwhile. Instances here might be vitamin D or more commonly, a coronary artery calcium score (CACS). The first cardiologist who used this, and openly discussed the benefits, was high-profile Dr. Ross Walker in Sydney. His colleagues really gave it to…
-
Dealing with distraction
Our digital lives might be making us more distracted, distant and drained, according to to research presented by the American Psychological Association. For example, even minor phone use during a meal with friends is enough to make diners feel distracted, and it reduces their enjoyment of the experience. Even people with their phones easily accessible…
-
The Difference Between Care and Service is Significant
I’m not bemoaning the current state of pharmacy, but what percentage of your time is spent doing what you went to pharmacy school to provide? How can we ensure that we prioritise care over service? Somehow, we have to re-educate our patients and customers that outstanding care is essential, and good service isn’t. We don’t…