Dr Yee's teaching: strategies and principles

Question 1

Problem lists.

a) What are they?
b) How are they formed?
c) Should have no more than how many?

Answer 1

a) List of problems patient has that you are going to deal with

b) History and examination:
- Split things that have a separate solution
- Lump together things with a common solution

c) 5

Question 2

Forming a differential.

a) Rheumatology - classify diseases into what 2 groups?
b) Multisystem diseases - consider what causes?
c) Clarifying points in the history/examination to help form a differential (supporting/ non-supporting features)
- two strategies for this

Answer 2

a) - Inflammatory (arthritides and CTDs)
- Non-inflammatory (everything else)
- Also, infective

b) - Rheumatological - CTDs, arthritides, vasculitis, etc.
- Endocrine
- Haematological
- Infective
- Malignant

c) - Disease specific: eg. think of the skin features not in the history that would support your differentials and look for them (eg. RA - nodules; psoriasis - plaques)
- Systems review: eg. think of the common general skin features of disease and look for them (eg. rash)

Question 3

Deciding on investigations.

- 3 strategies

Answer 3

1. Disease-specific findings (eg. RA - joint XR for erosive damage)
2. Systems review (eg. lung pathology - CXR)
3. Symptom-specific (eg. productive cough - sputum sample)

Note - there will be crossover between these

Also consider different modalities (bloods, imaging, etc.)