AUSTRALIAN
HOMOEOPATHIC
ASSOCIATION
(NSW Branch)

The 6th Australian Homoeopathic Medicine
Conference 2008

David Levy

Enhancing Professional Efficacy through the Application of Clinical Auditing and Reflective Practice

Abstract
How can we verify and improve our results? Pathological cases may be more reliably tested against evidence: the patient's response, test results, longitudinal follow up management, specialist’s reports and feedback from family/others. What about the large number of non-pathological or purely functional cases? Or cases where diagnosis and treatment focuses on the psychological state of the patient? How can we differentiate the response to 'the remedy' from the response to 'therapy' or 'the therapeutic relationship', indeed the placebo effect?

A clinical audit will summarize the nature and complexity of thinking and reasoning in both acute and chronic cases. A selection of these cases will be presented to illustrate changes in reasoning, decision-making and case management. The presentation will highlight the importance of practitioner flexibility in reasoning and reflective practice, in order to sustain a healthy homoeopathic practice.

This paper emerges from current engagement in qualitative research that seeks to understand how and why Homœopaths think the way we do. A review of clinical reasoning literature in other health professions will precede a personal practice investigation using clinical audit and reflective practice. Empirical evidence will be supported by an emphasis on the importance of reflective practice, integral to growth, success and change.

Key Words : Research; clinical auditing; outcome studies; prescribing methods; case reports; working with other modalities; hopeless cases; methodologies; thinking and reasoning; reflective and reflexive practice.

Biography
David has been in clinical practice in Sydney since 1986. He lectures and provides clinical education at The Sydney College of Homœopathic Medicine and the Australasian College of Natural Therapies. David studied Homœopathy in Sydney, completed a Masters Degree in 2001 and has commenced PhD research, investigating the nature of homœopathic thinking and reasoning.

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