Patrick Walsh
Dr. Patrick Walsh Ear, Nose and Throat clinic, Australia
Title: Expectations: How are they generated and how do they become unreasonable?
Biography:
Mr Walsh completed his Royal Australasian College of Surgeons fellowship in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery in 2011, He then went on to complete post-fellowship training in the UK in rhinology. He is the chair of the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Oncology Team at Western Health, Victoria, and is a member of the Victorian Regional Training Subcommittee (Otolaryngology) of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He also works in private practice in Melbourne, specializing in cosmetic and functional rhinoplasty.
Abstract:
The expectations held by a patient about the results of any procedure are influenced by a multitude of factors; the personal traits of the patient themselves, their social background, the surgeon, and the society in which they operate. Unreasonable expectations are unlikely to be limited simply to the instance of one procedure, but are likely to extend to other interactions, and an exploration of the patient in their social context is necessary to avoid disappointment and misunderstanding. How does the surgeon avoid generating unreasonable expectations and how are warning signs of their presence elicited in an unavoidably brief consultation?