The Four Questions That Really Matter in Psychiatry – Pass the RANZCP Exam OCI/MOCI
Last week we held the OCI / M-OCI course for registrars and exemption candidates for the RANZCP Exam. I named it “Clinical Formulation and Patient Management Masterclass”. That’s because, it really isn’t just about the exam, it’s about the patients for whom we want to make a difference. It was a great turn out of motivated and enthusiastic candidates. Over the last 4 years of teaching large groups and imparting a structure for psychiatric formulation and management, I asked myself…….Is there a way of simplifying the assessment to lead to a comprehensive formulation and management plan? Finally, I think I have the answer.
The Four Questions That Matter in Psychiatric Practice
- What is/are the problem(s)?
- Why has the patient developed the problem?
- How do I solve the problem?
- What resources do I have and what barriers will I face? ( Ok….I see this is two questions in one, but you get the point.)
Divide all the above into bio-psycho-socio-cultural elements and voila, you have elements for a comprehensive formulation and management plan. One tip though…….Your vision must be getting the patient back to as complete a recovery as possible and don’t forget the patient’s aims and aspirations. Have a look at this article and this one (Formulation; the Sherlock Holmes Way) for further tips on psychiatric formulation and management.
Try it out, it works a treat for me in practice. Let me know what your questions are?
This article is written by Dr Sanil Rege. Sanil is a Consultant Psychiatrist in Mornington and co-founder of psychscene.com. He is pursuing an MBA at the Melbourne Business School. You can follow him on Google+