Every Doctor: Healthier Doctors=Healthier Patients, 2nd edition

Every Doctor: Healthier Doctors=Healthier Patients, 2nd edition, coauthored by Drs Leanne Rowe, Vihangi Abeygunawardana and Michael Kidd 

Let’s consider a normal day in general practice. You have a heavy patient load and you make hundreds of clinical and other decisions while being frequently interrupted. Many patients are distressed, some traumatised. You do a great job in supporting everyone including the practice staff, but as you commute home, a few thoughts are stuck in your mind. Perhaps there was a patient complaint about waiting times or you had terse words with a colleague. When you get home you plan flop in front of the TV news with a glass of wine, to try to block out the stress of the day in a futile attempt to hide your negative emotions from your family. 

You do this again the next day and the next. 

And to add to these daily stressors, our health systems have been thrown into chaos and the viability of general practice is under threat in the wake of the pandemic. 

Clearly, this is a blue print for burnout.

The second edition of Every Doctor advocates for a transformational change in the way GPs protect their mental health, look out for their colleagues, co-create a kinder practice culture and co-lead health system reform. Offering practical strategies and real solutions based both on medical literature and the wisdom of experienced GPs, the book reimagines health care.  

It’s great to see doctors of all specialties at different career stages are resonating with the timeless stories and key messages in Every Doctor. General practice is a fantastic career, but it can be fraught with inevitable challenges. We have more influence than currently realised to create happier practices and to rediscover joy in life and work. Please consider giving the book to a younger colleague, but please read it first!

Leanne Rowe and Michael Kidd will be opening the ‘Caring for Caregivers: Prioritising Well-being and Managing Risks in Medicine’ preconference workshop 3 at the RACGP/WONCA conference in Sydney on 25 October 2023. 

You can also meet Professor Michael Kidd AO at the WONCA stand to talk about Every Doctor on Saturday, October 28th, from 10-10:30 a.m.

His key note address entitled ‘Recovery, reconnection and revival. Primary care contributions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic’ is scheduled for 8.55am on Sunday October 29th. 

 A 20% Discount Available on Every Doctor by entering the code AFL03 at checkout via www.routledge.com/9781032284323