Why Good Healthcare Takes Time.
Dr. Ganesa on integrative medicine, patient care,
and the limits of modern consultations
When I think about the pressures facing general practice in Australia, I keep coming back to the same thing: time.
Doctor shortages, funding pressures, waiting lists, and regulatory requirements all matter. But inside the consultation room, time can shape what is possible in a single appointment.
When a doctor has only a short window to understand a person’s health concerns, there are natural limits to what can be explored.
What can be difficult in a brief consult
The pressures that have produced the modern brief consultation are real. Medicare structures payments in a way that can make longer appointments difficult. Practices need to remain viable. Regulatory frameworks and administrative demands continue to increase. I understand how the system arrived here.
For many straightforward concerns, a short appointment may be appropriate. But for patients with complex or long-standing concerns, it can be difficult to explore the broader context in a limited time.
A brief consultation may allow space to address one issue, often the most urgent concern or the one the patient feels able to raise first. What can be harder is understanding how different parts of a person’s health may be interacting.
For patients living with chronic pain, mental health concerns, complex comorbidities, ADHD, autism, or other ongoing health needs, explaining what is happening can take time. The challenge is not only clinical. It can also be about communication, context, history, and trust.
Asking patients to summarise years of experience in a few minutes can make it difficult to understand the full context of their concerns. A longer consultation creates more space for careful listening, discussion, and clinical reasoning.
What changes when patients have more time
A longer consultation gives patients more room to explain what has been happening, what they have already tried, and what matters most to them.
Details can emerge that may not come up in a shorter appointment. Patterns may become easier to discuss. Sleep, pain, stress, mood, work, family responsibilities, and daily routines can all form part of the broader clinical picture.
That does not mean every answer is immediate or simple. But it does mean there is more time to ask questions, consider contributing factors, and discuss options in a way that feels clear and collaborative.
Trust also matters. When patients feel comfortable speaking openly, they may be more able to share information that is relevant to their care. This can support a more informed conversation between doctor and patient.
A patient who understands the reasoning behind a care plan is often better placed to participate in decisions about their health. In my experience, that engagement is an important part of good ongoing care.
Asking the right questions
In complex cases, and many chronic conditions are complex, I often find it useful to ask patients a simple question early in the consultation:
What change would make the biggest difference to your day-to-day life right now?
It helps identify what matters most to the person sitting across from me. That is not always the same as what appears most prominent in a referral letter or medical summary. It also gives us a place to begin.
Understanding a patient’s main concern does not replace clinical assessment. But it can help shape the conversation, clarify priorities, and guide shared decision-making.
Integrative medicine considers the whole person
Verde Clinic exists because we believe complex care needs time, context, and careful clinical reasoning.
Many patients with chronic or ongoing concerns are looking for healthcare that gives them enough space to explain their history and understand their options. For some, that means exploring care that considers conventional medicine alongside complementary approaches where clinically appropriate.
For us, integrative medicine means considering the whole person while remaining grounded in medical training, clinical evidence, and careful assessment.
General practice continues to carry a growing chronic disease burden. Supporting patients with complex or ongoing concerns often means considering not only symptoms, but also lifestyle, mental health, social context, environment, and the factors that may influence health over time.
That is what integrative medicine means to us. It is care with time, context, and a broader view of the person in front of us.
