抄録
In Japan, hospital-based general medicine physicians play a significant role in outpatient care. Outpatient practice demands advanced clinical skills, including the swift recall of differential diagnoses, effective patient communication, and the implementation of comprehensive management plans. Based on these demands, we developed five key themes for enhancing the quality and efficiency of outpatient care. The themes were derived from discussions at the Japan Society of Hospital General Medicine Annual Meeting, where physicians exchanged insights and identified
practical approaches to common outpatient challenges. The five themes are: (1) history-taking and physical examination, emphasizing structured, patient-centered methods; (2) fostering patient-physician relationships to build trust and continuity; (3) ensuring continuity of care, particularly for patients with undiagnosed or medically unexplained symptoms; (4) balancing efficiency and quality improvement to manage complex patient cases in both inpatient and outpatient settings; and (5) preventing burnout, promoting resilience, and fostering “joy in patient interactions” for sustainable practice. This framework synthesizes concepts from patient-centered care, narrative medicine, and family medicine and reinterprets them for hospital generalists. By adopting these themes, Japanese hospital-based general medicine physicians can achieve improved patient outcomes and a more fulfilling clinical practice.
