Did you know that according to the OECD, a fifth of healthcare costs adds no value to patient care? This, along with the drive for shared decision making is the drive behind Scotland’s ‘Realistic Medicine’ campaign. We chat to Dr Catherine Labinjoh, Consultant Cardiologist and National Clinical Advisor to the Realistic Medicine programme about the campaign.

One of the main aims of Realistic Medicine is for people using healthcare services and their families to feel empowered to discuss their treatment fully with healthcare professionals, including the possibility that a suggested treatment might come with side effects – or even negative outcomes. Everyone should feel able to ask their healthcare professional why they’ve suggested a test, treatment or procedure, and all decisions about a person’s care should be made jointly between the individual and their healthcare team. This is a theme we have covered often on the podcast and so we explore with Catherine what this means for how healthcare is being delivered in Scotland.

In our micro-discussion, we talk about a recent article in the New Statesman “I can’t find a diagnosis for Ted – but he can diagnose modern medicine”. Ted explains how ““Everything’s decided on thousands of people…. that can’t possibly tell you what to do for any individual.” https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/health/2024/03/i-cant-find-a-diagnosis-for-ted-but-he-can-diagnose-modern-medicine In tandem we discuss a recent BMJ Quality & Safety about the coordination of care for patients with heart failure.  https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/33/4/232?ijkey=d1d5807c3fd3a9dff0a2cb225570adea3a3bc139&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha In a truly memorable conversation, we also pick up on the role of a ‘single-organologist’ versus a generalist – “the patient is more than the organ of your choice…” We seek out that “elusive unicorn, the time rich specialist generalist!” 

As with all of our guests, Catherine shares with us a Memory Evoking Medicine, a career anthem and book that has influenced her life.

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