The Sore Throat Saga (I believe in a scientific approach)
This clip is part of a two-part showcase demonstrating two different approaches to treating a patient with a sore throat. The first segment, entitled ‘I believe in the scientific approach,’ features a doctor who meticulously follows a mechanistic understanding of illness. In under a minute, the doctor takes a comprehensive patient history, examines the throat, collects a swab, recommends an antibiotic, and suggests a blood test. This thoroughness and attention to detail in understanding the patient’s history should reassure the audience about the quality of care provided.
A very bad sore throat.
At the beginning of the video, we see the doctor encouraging Mrs Sheppard to come and sit down. However, he is a little distracted by the notes before him. Once his patient is settled, he asks her, ‘What can I do for you?’ Mrs Sheppard then informs the doctor that she has a bad sore throat. The doctor then asks a few questions following this information, such as how long Mrs Sheppard has had the pain, which we find out has been about five days since it started. The doctor’s professionalism in handling the situation should instil confidence in the audience about his abilities.
Moreover, if it hurts and where, Mrs Sheppard mentions it hurts a lot, and she’s got tenderness under her neck. She also mentions that her general health is rather good. While asking all these questions, the doctor wrote down notes on what he learned from his patient. It was good of the doctor to take notes, as it showed he was listening and ensuring all avenues for issues regarding the problem were covered before handing out any medication to his patient.
"Let 's have a look at it, shall we."
As the doctor reviewed his notes, he concluded that it was time to examine Mrs Sheppard thoroughly. He approached her and politely suggested, “Let’s have a look, shall we?” Standing before Mrs Sheppard, he kindly asked her to open her mouth as he carefully directed a beam of light to inspect the back of her throat. Then, he gently requested, “Could you please say ‘Ahh!'” as he peered into her throat and prepared to take a throat swab. Following this, the doctor guided Mrs Sheppard to repeat the sound “Ahh,” swiftly and skillfully swiped the swab at the back of her throat and then proceeded to sit back down.
The doctor informed Mrs Sheppard that her throat looked “a bit red” and said he would send a swab for testing, as he believed it might be due to a common germ. He prescribed antibiotics for Mrs Sheppard, advising her to take one four times daily for the next few days. He also suggested that she could take aspirin if she found swallowing painful.
Glandular fever
Additionally, the doctor informed Mrs Sheppard that his nurse would conduct a blood test to check for glandular fever, which can sometimes cause a sore throat. The doctor assured Mrs Sheppard that they would inform her of any unusual results from the blood test and advised her not to smoke, as smoking could exacerbate her condition. After the consultation, Mrs Sheppard expressed her gratitude to the doctor and left the office.
The teaching points on these tapes centre around a discourse on the appropriate use of time and resources and the decision-making process doctors use to determine their actions and manage their time effectively.