‘Uncharted waters’ is perhaps an understatement of where we are headed at this time. The situation is fluid, with government regulations for our society changing rapidly.

The science behind the management of athletes with injury or illness has exploded over the past two decades.

This issue focuses on risk factors for cardiovascular disease, with particular reference to smoking and lack of physical activity, as well as methods used to calculate cardiovascular disease risk.

Diabetic foot remains a global public health challenge and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality.

Tobacco use remains a global health issue, and effective evidence-based smoking cessation programs continue to be a core component of the public health response to smoking.

Palliative care has progressed from the margins to having a key role and responsibility within the discipline of general practice.

Evidence-based medicine has been the driver of healthcare research and changes in general practice.

Evidence-based medicine has been the driver of healthcare research and changes in general practice.

The rationale for promoting exercise for both primary and secondary health prevention benefits is unequivocal.

The rationale for promoting exercise for both primary and secondary health prevention benefits is unequivocal.

Apart from potentially decreasing the burden on emergency departments, incorporating broader-based wound care within a practice may enhance the GPs’ connectedness with their patients.

The Focus articles in this month's issue discuss conditions affecting the lower limbs, including peripheral artery disease, diabetic foot ulcers, paediatric pes planus and various skin conditions.

Apart from potentially decreasing the burden on emergency departments, incorporating broader-based wound care within a practice may enhance the GPs’ connectedness with their patients.

Palliative care has progressed from the margins to having a key role and responsibility within the discipline of general practice.

Skin cancer medicine is a core component of Australian general practice. The Focus articles featured in this issue discuss the management of pigmented skin lesions in general practice.

Prevention as a key aspect of healthcare is probably as old as history. The Focus articles in this issue highlight opportunities for prevention in general practice.

Prevention has been a core focus in Australian primary healthcare since the 1980s.

Skin cancer medicine is a core component of Australian general practice and is consistently in the top 10 conditions managed.

This expertly presented book provides important additional insights into the narrative process that is at the heart of Australian general practice.

In the evolving discipline of health law, the clinical domain interacts with the legal and governance structures of the courts and lawmakers, and the ethical positions of society at large.

The science behind the management of athletes with injury or illness has exploded over the past two decades.

General practice as a unique discipline has advanced exponentially, culminating in the formal recognition as a distinct specialty.

An important foundation of the way general practitioners understand ill-health is through the interconnected constructs of disease and illness.