Have you
ever thought about the definition of the word "patient?” Because I
am such a geek, I actually looked it up and this is what I found;
adjective:
patient
- able
to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed
or anxious
noun: patient
- a person receiving or registered to receive medical treatment.
The
definition of the adjective made me laugh and then get uncomfortable because I
am sure the origin of the word came from people having to wait to see their
doctor!
So here is
my question to you - do specific terms/words or labels really matter?
Within the
adults with disability movement, there has been a lot of debate, discussion,
and change based on the "terms" The Association for Retarded Citizens
is now the ARC. Instead of "disabled people" or "the disabled,"
people with disabilities have asked us to put the "person" first and
not their disability.
Within the
medical field, a discussion has begun about what it means to call someone
"our patient."
Research
has shown that how we live, what we eat, how we treat our bodies actually can
influence our health outcomes to a greater extent then our DNA. Scientists will
argue over how much, but the impact is there and I have seen numbers as high as
90% - as what you do to yourself vs. the genes you are given.
So if that
is true, shouldn't the language being used in healthcare empower people to take
control of their own health? Not to "accept or tolerate delays," as
the definition of “patient” describes; but to proactively take control of their
health and their bodies. The words we use and how we encourage people to
activity participate in their care is a huge issue in pediatrics. When we talk
about the patient - sometimes the best treatment is purely engaging the family
in the care of their child. How are we "partnering" with parents and
what are we doing?
Our efforts
in patient and family centered care has been about developing that partnership.
Finding ways to share clinical information and then providing a plan of care
that will help the parent be part of the best outcome for their child. There is
often much work that must be done outside our walls to get these amazing
outcomes that have been achieved. You have inspired the families to dream of
what is possible and be willing to put in the work to achieve, sometimes the
impossible.
You have
heard me talk about the next wave of consumerism in healthcare. My parents wait
for hours to see their doctors and hang on their every word. Conversely, I won’t
wait 10 minutes and after the appointment I immediately go to the internet to
check their diagnosis or treatment. Think
about how the use of technology is going to change the delivery of care. In the
adult world, people now want the concierge service, access their physicians
whenever they need them and they pay big bucks to do it. Telemedicine is not
only being used in far away places to bring in specialists, but it is also
being used on a "regular" basis for follow up visits and for people
who are willing to pay for access.
I share all
of this to ask you to think about how we might begin to meet the needs of
the children who come to us seeking an enhanced experience and outcome.
Think about
how the language we use impacts how families partner with us and also look for areas
we should change right now - to make the rest of the world catch up to us.
While I
don't know what the future looks like for healthcare, I know one thing for sure
- it will be different than it is today. The need for quality outcomes combined
with technology and the pressure to be much more efficient is definitely going
to cause change. The only question is will we be driving that change or
chasing others? The decision is ours.
