DDDDDDDDDDDDD Effective management logically follows accurate diagnosis.
Such logic often is difficult to apply in practice. Absolute diagnostic
accuracy may not be possible, particularly in the field of primary care,
when management has to be on analysis of symptoms and on knowledge of
the individual patient and family. This series follows that on Problems
in Practice which was concerned more with diagnosis in the widest sense
and this series deals more definitively with general care and specific
treatment of symptoms and diseases. Good management must include
knowledge of the nature, course and outcome of the conditions, as well
as prominent clinical features and assessment and investigations, but
the emphasis is on what to do best for the patient. Family medical
practitioners have particular difficulties and advantages in their work.
Because they often work in professional isolation in the community and
deal with relatively small numbers of near-normal patients their
experience with the more serious and more rare conditions is restricted.
They find it difficult to remain up-to-date with medical advances and
even more difficult to decide on the suitability and application of new
and relatively untried methods compared with those that are 'old' and
well proven. Their ad vantages are that because of long -term continuous
care for their patients they have come to know them and their families
well and are able to become familiar with the more common and less
serious diseases of their communities.