Throughout the history of medicine, the authority over a patient'swell-being has always rested with a medical professional, a physician. It has long been perceived that they had the greater knowledge and experience so they were given the higher authority, also due to the lack of information to the general population. During those times, multiple factors limited access and dissemination of key medical information, people would often rely on physicians for their treatment and guidance with little or no contest. This leads to the consequences of the possible abuse of power and poor performance/results that could injure or kill the patient. Also creating secondary issues such as the financial cost and poor utilization of limited resources, costing not only to the patient but also to the healthcare system. Unfortunately, the solutions that immediately followed were only from hindsight after a patient or multiple patients have been injured or have lost their lives, due to the mistakes performed by the physician or the system that governs the medical health system. In time key figures in history try to correct those wrongful processes by providing the initial key concepts for more patient centered practices. Over the course of history individuals, such as Hippocrates and Hammurabi, have tried to introduce an oversight system or concepts to manage the issue, improving not only outcome but reducing malpractice. This eventually leads to branches or parts of a country’s government that tries to evaluate the available healthcare system for efficiency and patient safety, as well as providing legal routes for individuals to pursue compensation for wrongful actions.
With the further improvement and development of technology comes the ability to greatly accelerate the medical autonomy from a primarily doctor-centered to a more patient-centered Healthcare system. This allows the patients to have a better voice and more importantly an understanding for their treatments, further expanding a more complete approach to treating their condition. For example, now that with a much broader treatment model we can now evaluate non-medical or secondary medical factors, such as environmental, financial, Socio-cultural, religious issues and other factors that could be affecting their overall medical health. With a more comprehensive assessment model we can now focus on, not just initially treating the problem and reducing its impact, but preventing the problem.
However, a new issue is developing now because of the internet's wide unrestricted access, choosing false treatments or improper treatment practices. With such a large and diverse amount of information the internet has become an extremely large location to learn about new things, producing both well educated people and some a bit more misguided. With some exemptions, the internet has extreme amounts of freedom and there is no individual requirement to train yourself before accessing the internet, to know how to assess and verify information. This could lead others to misinterpret or misidentify factual information. Without training or background understanding in searching information it could lead people to apply false treatments or incorrect application of treatments. Also in extension, how to filter false advertisements from others who are promoting harmful practices or such false treatments, especially from large biased groups/organizations. This could significantly impact a patient's recovery by choosing non-effective, possibly fatal, and wasteful treatments. In the upcoming future there will be an increasing trend, in respect to more people accessing the internet, and it will become a greater responsibility for us doctors to become better teachers for our patients.
The next step in the future of patient care is to become a mentor and teacher, because now more resources are now available to them, with greater autonomy, they need better guidance and how to utilize these tools and understand it's consequences, both the pros and cons. After witnessing Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) system in conjunction with the healthcare system, especially online, patients have a greater ability to obtain a better health status. I'm confident that this, or similar systems, will become future frameworks for other countries to establish their healthcare systems. These systems are able to provide wider access to manage those already in acute or chronic conditions but its greater potential is providing minimal and high yielding approaches in preventing diseases or at least preventing the progression of their diseases into irreversible life-altering conditions.
The new upcoming challenge is becoming a teacher with better communication skills and information technology literacy to help guide our patients. This becomes a larger problem when healthcare services start being perceived as more of a consumer product where treatment processes or 'products' have to be simplified in instructions for better patient/consumer appeal. Another important factor is the probable rise in competition from competing products especially in private sectors that are more financially goal-oriented in selling their products that may not be completely scientifically founded.
We have to ensure that our patients have a better basic background understanding of their condition and what steps will provide the best outcome. Technology will provide a large influential role as a complementary tool in communication to our patients by improving or creating platforms with easy user experience to help them understand their ailments from verified sources. However at this current time, as we slowly improve those online platforms, patients will need to rely on us to better translate those key information into easily understood instructions. Another important role is guiding them through the gray areas of Medicine where treatments are either still being researched or unverified, especially with the accelerated growth of the medical industry. In summary we have to be the best guide and teacher to digest all the vast amounts of information into a more easily interpretable guidance for the patient to follow so that they have a higher complacency towards the process or even choosing the better process leading to better health.
Anode to the white coat:
"Guardianof my health, steadfast with heavenly white coat,
Masterof cures and perception, with no feelings or judgment to emote.
Fromlong nights buried in books, watching the clock hands at stroke;
Demonstrating your incredible knowledge, for each timewe had spoke.
For times have changed, you listen more as I speak;
I am grateful for your sincere attention, for I no longer need to be meek.
With warmth, understanding and humility you now listen with such intent;
With a heart of that of a family you seek my betterment for every time spent.
But may I ask once more from the wisdom that you preach;
Medicine continues to be a maze you can walk effortlessly, may you please easily teach.
As you walk with us please give that merciful hand;
Our journey to a healthier life continues to be a mystery that maybe you can understand."
