Friday, August 14, 2009

Ideas not Answers

With the waging of ugly misinformation campaigns being reported in the news I ponder what the average person really knows about the underpinnings of different parts of the health care system. There is a lot I don't know but I have an insider's view of the hospital and the work comp components. Having worked home health I have also toured a lot of homes. Sometimes the "system" works but there are many reasons why it doesn't.

I don't think it's possible to overhaul the complex network of systems that dovetail into each other but we can certainly look at ways of tweaking what we already have. Being bold and assessing the current positives and negatives is a good way to start. This doesn't require huge committees of shirts but should include those in the trenches. The ones receiving the care and the ones providing the care know the problems intimately.

Change is hard to deal with. It's scary. But if we don't emphasize what works and be brave and move away from what doesn't then the number of people in this country who don't have even the most basics is going to increase.

Don't underestimate the value of the care. Nurses tend to operate from a perspective of care. Many doctors have been trained to operate from a perspective of cure. Sometimes cure isn't possible. We are all going to die some day.

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