TY - JOUR T1 - Information gathering JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 637 LP - 637 DO - 10.3399/bjgp11X601460 VL - 61 IS - 591 AU - Emyr Gravell Y1 - 2011/10/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/61/591/637.abstract N2 - Sometimes the most mundane contact can turn out to be charmingly surprising. A lady in her eighties came to see me recently about her knee pain. I hadn't seen her before and her notes were sparse with hardly any background information. She obviously didn't need to see doctors very often. She was spry and energetic with a lovely smile. I could almost imagine her cast in a film as the kindly grandmother who dispenses sensible advice and comfort in equal measures.She started to tell me a little about her pain; she had had it for several years but it was now interfering with her gardening and shopping. As I was keen to practice cutting edge, modern general practice the first thing I asked was ‘Do you smoke?’. … ER -