In this episode of This Could Save Your Life podcast, hosts Dr Anna Mullins and Dr Catherine Bourke delve into the topic of prostate cancer, which affects one in five men by the age of 85. Emphasising the importance of understanding this common yet complex disease, particularly focusing on the significance of early screening. Dr Mullins and Dr Bourke begin by explaining the function and anatomy of the prostate gland, highlighting its role in fertility and common changes that occur with age. The ...
Nov 03, 2025•16 min•Season 2Ep. 10
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Maria Li welcomes Dr Katherine Wyld, a Queensland-based endocrinologist, for the first installment of a three-part hormones series addressing health misinformation in endocrinology. The episode focuses on thyroid and thyroid hormone-related pseudoscience, which is increasingly prevalent in social media and online health discussions. Dr Wyld shares her experiences from clinical practice, and the most common misinformation trends, including: The use of thyro...
Oct 27, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 221
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Tim Koh welcomes Dr Michael Wright, President of the RACGP, for a discussion centred on the recently released Health of the Nation report. Now in its ninth year, the report serves as a key barometer for the state of general practice in Australia, covering trends in service provision, access, key challenges, and broader implications for practitioners. Key Points: Australian GPs delivered over 170 million services last year and saw nearly 23 million Australi...
Oct 20, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 220
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Krystyna de Lange is joined by Dr Jo-Lyn McKenzie, an ENT surgeon, researcher, and university lecturer based in Brisbane, for a discussion on chronic rhinosinusitis and its management in primary care. Dr McKenzie begins by outlining the key clinical features that distinguish chronic rhinosinusitis from other common nasal conditions. Highlighting the importance of chronic nasal obstruction and persistent discharge, and that chronicity, which is greater than...
Oct 13, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 219
In this episode of This Could Save Your Life podcast, hosts Dr Catherine Bourke and Dr Anna Mullins explore the important topic of dementia prevention. With an aging population, dementia is becoming increasingly prevalent. The episode delves into what dementia actually is, addressing common misconceptions that it is solely a memory issue. They explain that dementia is a progressive condition characterised by a range of symptoms including memory changes, shifts in mood or behavior, and challenges...
Oct 06, 2025•13 min•Season 2Ep. 9
In this special live episode of The Good GP, Dr Sean Stevens and Dr Catherine Bourke are interviewed by Dr Bethany Reynolds, Chair of the WA New Fellows Committee, at the RACGP Early Career GPs Conference in the Swan Valley, on Whadjuk Nyongar Country. Discussing key lessons and insights for GPs transitioning from fellowship training to early career practice. Key topics covered: Business and Administration for New Fellows: The importance of setting aside funds for the first tax bill when transit...
Sep 29, 2025•25 min•Season 1Ep. 218
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Julia Rawlinson is joined by Dr Lynette Griffiths, GP registrar and perinatal clinical psychologist, and Dr Erin Seeto, clinical and counselling psychologist and Clinical Services Manager at the Gidget Foundation. Discussing the topic of perinatal mental health, focusing on the impact on families, the healthcare system, and the broader community. Beginning with an overview of the prevalence and spectrum of perinatal mental health conditions, covering not o...
Sep 22, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 217
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Maria Li speaks with Dr Katherine Wyld, an obstetric physician and endocrinologist, about hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Outlining the distinction between common nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and the more severe and debilitating hyperemesis gravidarum. Dr Wyld discusses the prevalence of HG, affecting about 1% of pregnancies, and its risk factors such as the history of HG and multiple gestations. She reviews tools for assessment, including the PUQE score,...
Sep 15, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 216
In this episode of This Could Save Your Life podcast, hosts Dr Anna Mullins and Dr Catherine Bourke delve into the topic of overweight and obesity. Exploring the intricate relationship between body weight and health, emphasising that body fat alone does not define an individual's health status. Along with the importance of considering various health aspects, including mental, emotional, and social well-being, beyond just physical health. Dr Bourke and Dr Mullins provide an overview of the multi-...
Sep 08, 2025•22 min•Season 2Ep. 8
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Krystyna de Lange is joined by Dr Brad McKay, a Sydney-based GP with extensive experience in HIV treatment, to discuss HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and its vital role in general practice. This episode is produced in collaboration with the Australian Society of HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM). Dr McKay provides an in-depth overview of what PrEP is, who it is suitable for, and addresses common misconceptions about patient eligib...
Sep 01, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 215
In this episode of The Good GP, Dr Krystyna de Lange is once again joined by Dr Karen Magraith, for the second part of a two-part series focusing on the pharmacological management of osteoporosis. Dr Magraith is a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee with Healthy Bones Australia and the immediate past president of the Australasian Menopause Society. They begin with a review of the clinical criteria for initiating pharmacological treatment in osteoporosis, highlighting the late...
Aug 25, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 214
In this episode of The Good GP, Dr Krystyna de Lange is joined by Tasmanian General Practitioner and medical educator Dr Karen Magraith for a two-part series on osteoporosis. Discussing on the current Australian approaches to osteoporosis screening, assessment, and diagnosis, with emphasis on practical considerations for GPs. Dr Magraith outlines the latest guidelines from the RACGP and Healthy Bones Australia, including distinctions between population screening and case finding for osteoporosis...
Aug 18, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 213
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Tim Koh speaks again with Dr Bhavesh Patel, a Queensland-based paediatric surgeon, about foreskin problems in boys, an area where general practitioners often face questions from families but might have limited training or exposure. Dr Patel outlines the normal development of the foreskin, clarifying common misunderstandings around the expected age of retraction. He explains that full retraction occurs at a median age of 10.4 years, with wide normal variati...
Aug 11, 2025•12 min•Season 1Ep. 212
In this episode of This Could Save Your Life podcast, hosts Dr Catherine Bourke and Dr Anna Mullins delve into the importance of the four-year-old health check. The value of continuing care from pregnancy through the first five years of life and how these regular check-ups play a critical role in monitoring a child's health and development. Anna and Catherine provide a detailed overview of the key components involved in a four-year-old health check. Including screening for developmental mileston...
Aug 04, 2025•13 min•Season 2Ep. 7
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Tim Koh is joined by Dr Bhavesh Patel, a Queensland-based paediatric surgeon, to discuss the assessment and management of scrotal problems in boys, a common area of concern for general practitioners. Dr Patel outlines the common scrotal issues encountered in newborns and children, including hydroceles, inguinal hernias, undescended testes, and varicoceles. He explains the typical presentations of these conditions and highlights key distinctions, such as th...
Jul 28, 2025•9 min•Season 1Ep. 211
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Maria Li welcomes Dr Arthur Price, an immunologist based in Wellington, New Zealand, to discuss penicillin allergy—one of the most frequently reported and commonly misunderstood drug allergies in general practice. Dr Price clarifies the true prevalence of penicillin allergy, explaining that while approximately 10% of patients admitted to hospital carry a penicillin allergy label, only about 10% of those actually have a genuine allergy. Emphasising that mos...
Jul 21, 2025•32 min•Season 1Ep. 210
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Maria Li speaks with Dr Arthur Price, a clinical immunologist with expertise spanning food allergy and immunodeficiency, on the frequently overlooked condition known as oral allergy syndrome (OAS). Dr Price begins by defining oral allergy syndrome as a mild form of food allergy where symptoms—typically oral itching—are limited to the mouth, lips, and throat following the consumption of raw fruits, vegetables, or certain nuts. He highlights the prevalence o...
Jul 14, 2025•27 min•Season 1Ep. 209
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Julia Rawlinson is joined by Dr David Manners, respiratory consultant and lung cancer and bronchoscopy subspecialist at Midland Hospital, to discuss the National Lung Cancer Screening Program launching across Australia on 1 July. To outline the rationale behind the new guidelines, highlighting that lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in Australia, typically presenting at a late stage when curative treatment is less likely. Dr ...
Jul 07, 2025•14 min•Season 1Ep. 208
In this episode of This Could Save Your Life podcast, Dr Catherine Bourke and Dr Anna Mullins delve into the topic of diabetes mellitus, focusing primarily on type 2 diabetes and its prevention. They begin with what diabetes is and the key differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is described as an autoimmune condition where the body attacks its own insulin-producing beta cells, whereas type 2 diabetes is more linked to lifestyle and genetic factors over a prolonged period...
Jun 30, 2025•17 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In this episode of The Good GP, Dr Krystyna de Lange is joined by Dr Marita Long, to discuss recent advances in the treatment of cognitive impairment, particularly mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease. Dr Long outlines the approval of the first anti-amyloid therapy in Australia—approved by the TGA for use in patients with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s dementia. Covering the evidence base for this new therapy, focusing on data from the Trailblazer Two clinical tri...
Jun 23, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 207
In this episode of The Good GP, Dr Sean Stevens and Dr Julia Rawlinson are joined by Dr Lauren Breen, community psychologist, researcher, and professor at Curtin University, and Shelly Skinner, CEO and founder of Lionheart Camp for Kids, to discuss childhood grief. They explore the prevalence and impact of childhood bereavement in Australia, it is estimated that approximately 235,000 children have lost one or both parents. They emphasise that it is important for GPs to recognise and address grie...
Jun 16, 2025•21 min•Season 1Ep. 206
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Sean Stevens is joined by colleagues from the Innovations Specific Interest Group at the Digital Health Festival (DHF25). Dr Amandeep Hansra, Janice Tan, Darren Foo, Kimberly Hamilton, and Mel Smith, all share their experiences and insights from the conference and recent RACGP Hackathon. Key Points: Dr Amandeep Hansra highlights the increased GP participation and the growing movement among clinicians to innovate and improve healthcare delivery in DHF25. Ki...
Jun 09, 2025•9 min•Season 1Ep. 205
In this episode of This Could Save Your Life podcast, hosts Dr Catherine Bourke and Dr Anna Mullins delve into the essential topic of high cholesterol and cardiovascular risk assessment. They explore how cholesterol impacts cardiovascular health and the strategies GPs can adopt to manage and mitigate these risks. They begin with an overview of the Australian Cardiovascular Risk Calculator, which integrates various risk factors such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and lifestyle habits to e...
Jun 02, 2025•21 min•Season 2Ep. 5
In this episode of The Good GP, host Karin Sekhon is joined by Dr Christine Dykstra, a specialist sexual health physician at Royal Perth Hospital and Sexual Health North. They discuss the emerging topic of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (Doxy-PEP) for the prevention of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Dr Dykstra provides an overview of Doxy-PEP, describing it as the use of 200 mg doxycycline taken within 24 (but up to 72) hours after at-risk sexual contact, primarily to r...
May 26, 2025•21 min•Season 1Ep. 204
In this episode of The Good GP, Dr Sean Stevens speaks with Kai Van Lieschout, founder of Lyrebird Health, to discuss the evolution of AI scribing tools for general practice. Kai shares his motivation for starting Lyrebird Health, noting the significant administrative burden faced by GPs and the potential for technology to enable doctors to focus more on clinical care. Discussing the current state of AI scribes, with Dr Stevens highlighting substantial improvements in accuracy and utility, espec...
May 19, 2025•10 min•Season 1Ep. 203
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Karin Sekhon is joined once again by Dr Gordon Shymko, a psychiatrist based in Perth, to discuss what general practitioners need to know about the management of first episode psychosis in young people. Dr Shymko outlines the key principles in the management of early psychosis, including the importance of early detection and effective relapse prevention. He describes the gold standard of care as a multidisciplinary, holistic approach, incorporating not only...
May 12, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 202
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Karin Sekhon is joined by Dr Gordon Shymko, a psychiatrist and clinical director of the Perth Headspace Youth Early Psychosis Program. Dr Shymko brings over 30 years of clinical experience in psychiatry, with a special interest in the management of psychotic disorders and early intervention in youth. They focused on the topic of first episode psychosis (FEP) and what general practitioners (GPs) need to know to identify and support patients presenting with ...
May 05, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 201
In this episode of This Could Save Your Life podcast, hosts Dr Anna Mullins and Dr Catherine Bourke delve into the crucial topic of cardiovascular disease focusing on prevention. They discuss the importance of understanding risk factors, both modifiable—such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and lifestyle factors—and non-modifiable, like age, ethnicity, and family history, to effectively prevent these diseases. They talked about hypertension, or high blood pressure, a major risk factor f...
Apr 28, 2025•18 min•Season 2Ep. 4
In this episode of The Good GP, host Dr Krystyna de Lange is joined by Professor Liz Reymond and Dr Megan Ashcroft to explore the topic of voluntary assisted dying (VAD). Professor Reymond, a palliative care physician and director of the Queensland Voluntary Assisted Dying Support and Pharmacy Service, along with Dr Ashcroft, a Brisbane-based GP who has a special interest in VAD services, share their insights and expertise on this evolving aspect of healthcare. Beginning with an overview of the ...
Apr 21, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 200
In this episode of The Good GP Podcast, host Dr Tim Koh is joined by Dr Ramya Raman, Vice-President and Chair of RACGP Western Australia, to provide a timely update on measles, focusing on diagnosis and prevention. Dr Raman highlights the rarity of measles in general practice due to successful immunisation programs, achieving substantial herd immunity. She discusses the current changes in the environment that have resulted in declining vaccination rates, leading to increased outbreaks globally. ...
Apr 14, 2025•8 min•Season 1Ep. 199
