Episode description

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 the first 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

In this final 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. Treatment outcomes are never guaranteed, however, and clinical outcome cannot be the only measure of success. Our guests each give examples from their specialty about how a patient's expectations can be managed from the beginning of the consultation. 

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.