My Health Career is pleased to present a guest article by Dr Judith O’Malley-Ford, a general practitioner on Brisbane’s north side. She is the author of the Australian Medical Dictionary, and has a website www.dr-judith.com.

“Recently, I spoke to a group about the role of the General Practitioner in the community, about the complexity of the role and about its challenges with engaging with hospitals, health funds and providers of funding and with the patient groups.

I have many interests in my role as a GP, including men’s and women’s health, respiratory medicine sexual health, diabetes, weight management, antenatal care, mental health, skin cancer screening and minor surgery. I am the author of two books – The Australian Medical Dictionary and The Medical Dictionary of Conditions & Diseases, published in 2008 and 2012 respectively. During 2012/2013, and was the editor of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia magazine.

My presentation occurred at a time of great uncertainty surrounding the future direction of Australia’s health system. The Federal Government’s suggestion of an impending GP co-payment is a worry not only to some disadvantaged patients but also a threat to the viability of general practitioners who bulk bill many patients. It represents a reduction in the Medicare fee for GP’s for every single bulk billed patient.

Within this changing framework, it becomes increasingly difficult for people with health concerns to sit and talk with a GP. The only medical information source that most people can spend time on the Internet isn’t empathetic or sensitive to a patient’s needs and often delivers false and confusing diagnoses.

GPs have a working insight of all of the many medical specialties – physical and psychological – and during each consultation they can offer options that produce a beneficial outcome for their patient.

Determining the nature of a medical complaint can sometimes be challenging, as symptoms described by a patient may not unlock the core problem with their wellbeing. A GP needs great intuition to determine if a hidden problem needs addressing. This may take many forms. It is often only through careful, gentle questioning by a GP, that the real problem becomes apparent. This problem occurs across all age groups which in turn have their own brand of special problems areas.
For instance:

• Children need to be assessed for proper growth and development, nutrition, education and the prevention of infectious diseases.
• Adolescents need help with issues ranging from peer acceptance, sexual development, healthy eating and exercise, family and community relationships, through to risk minimisation with physical and substance abuse.
• Adults need to focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet, including regular exercise and relaxation, along with addressing parenthood issues and the need to be aware of illnesses that emerge as they get older.
• Older age groups have similar problems to the adult group. but their illnesses often need treatment. There may be treatment side effects to deal with, and many emotional upheavals, from the possible loss of a partner though to economic worries that can cause relationship problems and depression. In addition to providing clinical assessments, possible laboratory investigations, treatment and referrals to other medical experts, GPs are responsible for patient follow-up and support, to ensure the return to good health of their patient group.

Many medical problems encountered in general practice are the result of patients’ lifestyle factors – and a GP’s effort to help control these can result in better health, happiness and quality of life.

A GP can assist and advise in areas such as blood pressure control, lipid levels, healthy weight management, exercise and fitness, sexual health, relationships and stress management plus advocating moderate alcohol intake and quitting smoking. Regular follow-up visits monitor these conditions.

Everyone needs a GP, who should be someone you feel comfortable talking to about sensitive health issues, and can take advice from. Therefore, don’t allow years to go by before visiting a doctor after a niggle has become an issue.”