Ann Acad Med Singap
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Sep 2017
Mindfulness: A New Paradigm of Psychosocial Care in the Palliative Care Setting in Southeast Asia.
Alleviation of suffering in palliative care needs a combination of good symptom control and psychosocial care. The capacity of mindfulness to promote psychological flexibility opens up possibilities of creating a paradigm shift that can potentially change the landscape of psychosocial care. ⋯ Next, 2 mindfulness-based interventions specifically designed for palliative psychosocial care - mindfulness-based supportive therapy (MBST) and mini-mindfulness meditation (MMM) are introduced. We hypothesise that mindful practices, tailored to the palliative setting, can promote positive psychosocial outcomes.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Sep 2017
Improved Survival of Advanced Lung Cancer in Singapore Over the Past Decade.
We reviewed changes in clinical characteristics, treatment and survival of lung cancer patients in Singapore over the past decade. ⋯ Survival of patients with advanced stage IIIB/IV lung adenocarcinoma has improved over the past decade, and is potentially associated with the use of EGFR TKI and pemetrexed.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Sep 2017
From Bolam-Bolitho to Modified-Montgomery - A Paradigm Shift in the Legal Standard of Determining Medical Negligence in Singapore.
In a recent landmark litigation, the Singapore Court of Appeal introduced a new legal standard for determining medical negligence with regards to information disclosure - the Modified-Montgomery test. This new test fundamentally shifts the legal position concerning the standard of care expected of a doctor when he dispenses medical advice. ⋯ Patient-centred communication is no longer an aspirational ideal but has become a legal mandate. Manpower, administrative, logistic and medical educational reforms should start now, so as to support the average physician transit from the era of the Bolam-Bolitho, to that of the Modified-Montgomery.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Sep 2017
23rd Gordon Arthur Ransome Oration: Law and Medicine: Professions of Honour, Service and Excellence.
Amidst dramatic global change, there is a greater need than ever for principled and committed professionals. The sibling professions of law and medicine, in particular, serve crucial functions in contemporary society. ⋯ Three further commitments follow from this: first, to nurture and mentor new entrants to the professions to ensure the continuance of that mission of public service; second, to improve accessibility and affordability through pro bono work and by other means, so that all who need professional assistance can receive it; and, thirdly, to serve with excellence in ethics as well as competence, so as not to betray the trust of the laypersons who rely on professionals to safeguard their interests and welfare. The medical and legal professions have much to learn and gain from working with each other toward those shared goals.