Thinking About Medicine Flashcards
(31 cards)
What is the Hippocratic Oath?
A historic pledge taken by physicians emphasizing ethics, confidentiality, and commitment to patients.
What does the Hippocratic Oath prohibit?
The use of deadly drugs, abortion by pessary, and surgery by those not trained.
What is the main goal of medical care according to the text?
To work for the benefit of the patient, not the consultant.
What are key values in medical care?
Compassion, honesty, respect, and learning.
What is a QALY?
Quality-adjusted life year: 1 year in perfect health equals 1 QALY.
How does NICE determine cost-effectiveness of interventions?
If cost per QALY is ≤ £30,000, it is considered cost-effective.
What is the inverse care law?
Good medical care is less available where it is needed most.
What is distributive justice in healthcare?
Allocating resources to those in greatest need, not just based on QALYs.
How is compassion different from empathy?
Compassion motivates action to help; empathy is feeling another’s emotion.
What is diagnosis by recognition?
Identifying a condition by its appearance, like recognizing a familiar face.
What is diagnosis by reasoning?
Systematically excluding differentials to find the correct diagnosis.
What is diagnosis by iteration?
Repeated questioning and testing to refine the diagnosis.
What are heuristics?
Mental shortcuts in decision-making that can lead to diagnostic errors.
What is representativeness heuristic?
Assuming typical presentations are the only ones, ignoring variants.
What is the availability heuristic?
Relying on easily recalled or recent experiences to make decisions.
What is Occam’s razor?
Favoring the simplest explanation that fits all facts.
What is Hickam’s dictum?
Acknowledging patients can have multiple diseases simultaneously.
What is Crabtree’s bludgeon?
Any conflicting facts can be reconciled with a complex explanation.
Why is error blindness dangerous?
People often don’t realize they are wrong until after the fact.
What is the duty of candour?
The ethical obligation to disclose errors and offer apologies.
What role does error play in medicine?
It drives improvement and highlights the limits of current knowledge.
What is bedside manner?
The way a doctor interacts with patients, emphasizing empathy and communication.
What is the KEPe Warm model?
Knowing, Encouraging, Physically engaging, and Warming up interactions.
Why is silence important in consultations?
It allows patients to express deeper concerns.
