title: The way we look at things.
abstract: There has been a big change in the way I see things. The big picture is fine, but the devil is in the detail. As I grapple with the frustration of putting on glasses to read and write and drag them off again to see the faces that have then become a blur in a frame, I am aware that it is now just a little more difficult to be fully engaged and present in consultations and conversations. However, like most experiences, my presbyopic blur has had some benefits as well as harms. It is a reminder that all is not necessarily as it seems - some things appear a certain way not because that is the way they are, but because of observer factors - and that life experiences enhance our ability to see health issues from the patient's perspective. All valuable reminders for general practitioner, medical editor and human being alike!
authors.forename: Jenni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parsons
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D032882:Comprehension; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family