Australian Doctor 14th June Issue | Page 8

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14 JUNE 2024 ausdoc . com . au

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* Trimbow 100 / 6 / 10 & 200 / 6 / 10 are indicated for maintenance treatment ; in adults with asthma not adequately controlled with a maintenance combination of medium dose or high dose ICS / LABA respectively , and who experienced ≥1 exacerbation ( s ) in the previous year . Trimbow 100 / 6 / 10 is indicated in adults with moderate to severe COPD who are not adequately treated by ICS / LABA or LABA / LAMA . 1

PBS

LISTED FOR COPD ( 100 / 6 / 10 ) 2

Are black scrubs the new ... black ?

Paul Smith WHAT to wear ? For some doctors , it is a tough question , not least when it comes to work attire as opposed to an outfit for a Saturday night out .

But rest assured , researchers around the world are working overtime to provide evidence-based fashion advice , with a new study suggesting that scrubs are back .

Published in Cureus , the study measured the perceptions of 150 patients to pictures of male and female doctors dressed either in scrubs or formal office attire .

The core finding was that doctors in scrubs rated significantly higher in terms of professionalism , friendliness , aptitude and empathy compared with those in a shirt , trousers and shoes or a dress and a smart pair of white sneakers .

These judgements were the same whether the patients were young or old , according to the authors from the orthopaedic unit at Singapore ’ s Tan Tock Seng Hospital .

But what about colour ? Do you go with blue , green or something radically chic , like black , and risk coming to work looking like Jackie Chan ?

And what happens if everyone that morning turns up in scrubs ? Could patients get confused as to your job role ?

“ In this study , most patients felt that the colour of scrubs would be a defining factor between physicians and nursing and allied health staff ,” the authors warned .

“ They were , however , unable to articulate the colour difference .”

To combat this problem , the patients being surveyed realised that accessories could help , suggesting the use of name tags to distinguish between doctors and nurses .

Jackie Chan in Thunderbolt , 1995 . AAP

Gender bias still persisted — at least in the context of Singapore , with female physicians rated poorer than males in professionalism when dressed in formal office attire .

However , that difference disappeared when it came to scrubs .

The big question is , why are scrubs the new black ?

The authors said it could be the COVID- 19 factor , and that repeated exposure to physicians in scrubs during the dark days of the pandemic may have “ bred a sense of familiarity among patients ”.

“ Attire familiarity as a factor is comforting and may explain why patients view scrubs favourably in terms of friendliness and empathy ,” they continued .

The authors made no mention of whether the same comfort of familiarity applied to P2 or N95 face masks .

But for the 2024 season , they concluded that doctors should “ don standardised coloured scrubs with a prominent name tag to improve patient perceptions ”.

We still await the first randomised controlled trial . Cureus 2024 ; 29 Mar .

Trimbow streamlined management : 2 † COPD ( 100 / 6 / 10 ) + severe asthma ( 200 / 6 / 10 )

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The only pMDI PBS-listed for both COPD ( 100 / 6 / 10 ) + severe asthma ( 200 / 6 / 10 ) 2

Order starter pack today chiesiair . com . au

PBS Information : Authority required ( STREAMLINED ). Severe Asthma ( 200 / 6 / 10 mcg presentation only ). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( 100 / 6 / 10 mcg presentation only ). Criteria Apply . Refer to PBS for full information .

Please review Product Information before prescribing . Product Information is available by scanning the QR code .

Abbreviations : COPD : chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ; ICS : inhaled corticosteroid ; LABA : long-acting beta 2 agonist ; LAMA : long-acting muscarinic antagonist ; PBS : Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme ; pMDI : pressurised metered dose inhaler . References : 1 . Trimbow Approved Product Information . 2 . Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme ( PBS ). www . pbs . gov . au . Chiesi Australia Pty Ltd , Hawthorn East , VIC . 3123 , Australia . Tel : + 61 3 9077 4486 ; Fax : + 61 3 8672 0792 ; Email : medinfo . au @ chiesi . com . Copyright © Chiesi 2024 . All rights reserved . Date of preparation : May 2024 . AU-TRI-2400081 . CHIE00185C .

Doctor takes aim at ‘ pompous , bow tie – wearing ’ city specialists

Carmel Sparke A PROMINENT doctor has taken a swipe at city-centric “ pompous , bow tie – wearing ” specialists who sit on training committees . Dr Colin McClintock ’ s day job is as a renal specialist based in Dubbo , NSW . But last month , he told a State Government inquiry how he had been “ wrangling ” with a specialist training committee to set up a cardiology program at Dubbo Hospital . Despite the hospital having enough senior clinical staff , he said the specialist training committee had so far refused his request .

“ I ’ d love [ the state health department ] to give the specialist training committee in cardiology a bit of a slap around the chops to get some common sense into them ,” Dr McClintock said .

“ Because shouldn ’ t they be coming to me to send advanced trainees in cardiology out to Dubbo Hospital , where the ST elevation MI rate is three times Sydney Local Health District ’ s ?

“ You ’ re going to get the best exposure to acute cardiology in your training that ’ s achievable in NSW at Dubbo Hospital .”

He added : “ What I ’ m coming back to is the pompous , bow tie – wearing nonsense of metro-centric training that says , ‘ You ’ re all a bunch of idiots in the country — how on earth could you possibly train high-quality doctors ?’”

Which colleges are provoking Dr McClintock ’ s anger ? The Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons .

“ How do we have a system that ’ s so maldistributed that you wouldn ’ t , as a cardiologist , want to come and work where

‘ I ’ d love the specialist training committee in cardiology to get a bit of a slap around the chops .’

your exposure to the acute part of your subspecialty is at its highest ?

“ The reason is we have a system that ’ s set up that allows individuals coming out of specialist training to tread water in Sydney because there are so many ways that you can still earn a living without a public appointment in a major hospital in Sydney ,” he added .

Dr McClintock , who is director of physician training in Dubbo , stressed that his local health district had no vascular surgery services — other than fly-in , fly-out — despite having a population of 280,000 .

“ How can that be — 280,000 people , no vascular surgical [ service ] and no local health district defined or responsibility taken for a service ?” he said .

If there were a couple of vacant jobs in Dubbo for a cardiologist , but it did not suit new doctors to leave Sydney and “ its great restaurants ”, they would be able to earn a living privately .

“[ In Sydney ], I can take admitting rights to a private hospital , and it may be a very undistinguished private hospital , and I can make a good financial living fairly rapidly , rather than just going and taking up a full-time position in a regional site to work ,” Dr McClintock said .

“ People [ say ] you can ’ t conscript doctors in Australia . Well , maybe we need to hone that a little bit so that we at least reduce the outlets of other opportunity to ensure that you go where the work is .

“ I can assure you that it doesn ’ t happen in other healthcare systems — you have to go where the work is .”