medical education
Patients are looking for help, not judgement
How to communicate Canada’s new alcohol guidelines with patients Your patient has just come to an appointment in a panic about their health because of the new alcohol guidelines. What do you do? Canada grasped the world's attention in early 2023 by announcing new...
The four-part closure statement
When I'm working with trainees, many have ideas about starting clinical encounters but few have thought about conclusions. When I was in grad school, a professor spoke with us about how our society doesn't end things well — we'd rather say “see you later” than “this...
CASE STUDY: My patient just told me they are trans. What do I say?
Communicating with transgender patients ISSUES IN PracticE Transgender patients experience significant barriers to accessing health care. As with many marginalized communities, physicians as a profession have contributed to the trauma inflicted on transgender people....
CASE STUDY: My obese gay patient just told me he is a Bear.
What does that mean, and how can I support his health?
We have 15 minutes today
We know that doctors of different types and stripes have different appointment lengths, and if you're working on an inpatient service you may not have a specific schedule. Regardless of whether you have eight, fifteen or thirty minutes (like I do in my clinic for...
What if my patient has too many issues to discuss during the visit?
The laundry list A common gripe from doctors is the patient who arrives with a never-ending list of issues. “These patients have unrealistic expectations,” they complain. “We can’t possibly address them all in the short time we have.” We might think that...
Agenda setting for the doctor-patient clinical encounter
Ask ‘What else?’ As doctors, there are few things more frustrating than attending a department or other meeting without a clear agenda, so it makes sense that we and our patients have the same expectation of why we are meeting and why we’re gathering and what we’re...
Ninety Seconds
A worsening doctor-patient communication problem Back in Medical school, we learned that doctors are quick to interrupt patients at the very start of the clinical encounter — my colleagues and I all committed to doing better. Interestingly, that study from the 1980s...
How to diagnose gender dysphoria.
how do I know if my patient is transgender? In my practice I work with many medical students and residents who we train in part to provide gender affirming care. I frequently speak with colleagues who know I have a transgender-inclusive family practice and field many...
Your Patients Don’t Have Too Many Problems if You Set an Agenda
“My patients come with too many problems,” is a common grievance I hear from doctors. Your patient wants your help with their shoulder pain, the diarrhea, a form and prescription refills, which doesn’t include your priorities which are checking the blood pressure and...
Guest Appearance on the Northern Exposure Podcast
Many of my patients living with addiction and homelessness who attend our downtown Vancouver health clinic refuse to go to the emergency room.
How Changing the Way Doctors Apologize Can Make a Difference
Many of my patients living with addiction and homelessness who attend our downtown Vancouver health clinic refuse to go to the emergency room.
How to Overcome a History of Medical Violence
We carry the burden of our patients’ past mistreatments. We know from history how doctors have participated in the medical violence brought upon Black people, transgender and queer community, and women--just to name a few. Think about the roles physicians played in...
Resources for Physicians, Medical Students, Residents and International Medical Graduates (IMGs). Here we explore insights on complex patient care, family medicine in the context of the opioid crisis, transgender health, equity and social justice in healthcare.