Pomegranate Health
Welcome to Pomegranate Health, a podcast about the culture of medicine. You’ll hear clinicians, academics and advocates discuss some big questions; How to difficult clinical and ethical decisions free from cognitive bias? How can communication with patients and peers be improved? And how to deliver healthcare most equitably and efficiently?
This is also the home of [IMJ On-Air], where authors from the College's Internal Medicine Journal present their work. [Journal Club] showcases RACP academics published in other journals. Meanwhile, the [Case Report] series is developed to guide Basic Physician Trainees on presentation of long-cases at their examinations.
Why a pomegranate? The fruit has featured on the coat of arms of the Royal College of Physicians of London since 1546. Listen here for the unlikely tale of how it made its way from ancient myth onto this podcast by way of Henry VIII.
Please continue the discussion in the comments section for each episode and send any feedback or ideas to podcast@racp.edu.au
Subscribe
Search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox or any podcasting app. For some apps you may need to import . It also provides a single page you can search for topics that might interest you in specific podcast episodes. You can also sign up for an email alert when a new episode is published about once a month.
CPD
At each episode page there is a MyCPD link for Fellows to log hours of participation in a Category 1 Educational activity. Consider "levelling up" this experience into a Category 2 Performance Review activity. For example, you could organise peers into a journal club to discuss the podcast. This could be done in person, or virtually. Reflect on aspects of the story that relate to your own practice and how it could be improved and visit MyCPD Handbook for further guidance or discussion templates.
Latest episodes
Ep85: The ASD Odyssey- a reply
Despite guideline recommendations for assessment and diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders there are drivers in the health system that dissuade clinicians from implementing these. These include reimbursement and training in the area of developmental disorders.
Ep84: The ASD Odyssey
Autism spectrum disorder is often diagnosed late in Australia due to gaps in developmental surveillance and long waitlists for diagnostic evaluations. This podcast discusses a national guideline intended to streamline this process.
Ep83: Loving Medicine Again
We continue the theme of responding to burnout by getting some of advice from doctors turned career coaches. We also hear from a respected occupational physician, and a listener with an simple message to raise morale between colleagues.
Ep82: Coming back from Burnout—Congress 2022
At Congress 2022 physicians shared the dramatic adversities that had forced them to take charge and rethink their roles in medicine. Burnout should be considered not as a mental health condition but as an occupational disorder that requires collective responsibility.
Ep81: Advocacy from the Top
This episode features two physicians who took advocacy to the next level and ran for Federal Parliament. They explain the process of getting health policy heard and how to push it through the Canberra machine and onto the political agenda.
Ep80: Healthcare in a Volatile Climate
Australia will warm by more than three degrees by the end of the century with a direct impact on heat-related morbidity. It will also experience more frequent natural disasters and the RACP is calling for national coordination to help the health care system adapt.
Ep79: Melanoma vs the Double-Edged Sword
Immunotherapy has revolutionised care for patients with advanced melanoma but it’s not possible to identify responders in advance. We explore conversations with patients around expectations for prognosis and toxicity.
Ep78: The Advocate’s Journey
The three word mission statement of the RACP is Educate - Advocate – Innovate. In this podcast we hear from physicians who have taken up a cause, and how the College can help amplify the message.
Ep77: Deciding with Children
When can a child be considered to have autonomy to make healthcare decisions for themselves? How should responsibility for difficult decisions be shared between the patients, the parents and clinicians? And is it possible to minimise the moral injury when the wishes of the patient need to be over-ruled?
Ep76: Making Amends- Medical Injury Part 3
In Australia, litigation is the only way for victims to get financial compensation for the medical injury. New Zealand, by contrast, operates a no-fault scheme where the costs of hardship and ongoing care are born by the government for many harms incurred in healthcare.