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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Therapeutic Massage for Psychological Well-being in Geriatric Oncology
Published on: May 22, 2026
First do no harm
1Department of Ophthalmology, Watford General Hospital, Hertsfordshire, United Kingdom. eyapyc@gmail.com
Abstract:
It is common when practising ophthalmology that we forget to treat the patient as a whole person. We are taught in medical school to take a complete history and to perform a thorough examination before ordering specific investigations. However sometimes, despite our clinical experience, we are tempted to take inappropriate shortcuts. The notion 'first do no harm' highlights to us the importance of gathering all the facts first before performing procedures on the patient. A clinical experience encountered recently reminded us of the importance of a patient's past medical history.
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