#healthcare #patientexperience #holistichealthcare #patientjourney Imagine when you embark on an epic, once-in-a-lifetime adventure. With destinations in mind, you're eager but a little daunted by the complexity of the journey. What do you do? You call on a travel agent. They provide you with a meticulously detailed plan catered to your unique desires and constraints. Why? Because every travel journey is deeply personal, and having a guide significantly eases the process. But have you ever wondered why the same isn't true when we embark on a health journey? Jay Baruch, an emergency physician, medical humanities professor, and author, recently discussed the fascinating parallels between the fields of travel and healthcare in the Write Medicine podcast along with Alexandra Howson PhD Dr. Baruch emphasizes that every patient's health journey is as individual as a traveller’s itinerary. However, unlike in travel, patients often lack the support and personalization needed to navigate their health journey from end to end. We live in a world where the clinical landscape, like a foreign country, can often seem complex and overwhelming. Wouldn't it be transformative if we had health 'agents' guiding us, familiarizing us with the landscape, and helping us make informed decisions tailored to our unique health needs and perspectives? I postulate that the answer lies in a more holistic approach to healthcare that integrates science and data, the arts and humanities. An approach that acknowledges that uncertainty and ambiguity are as much a part of the health journey as they are of life itself. Dr. Baruch argues for a healthcare model that sees patients as unique individuals with their own stories, not just as medical cases. Such an approach could revolutionize the patient experience, providing the much-needed 'healthcare travel agent' for every health journey. Just as travel agents don't remove the uncertainty of travel but help us navigate it better, embracing the humanities in healthcare can equip us to better deal with the inherent uncertainties of our health journeys. It's time for us to rethink healthcare, to offer each patient a 'travel agent' for their health journey — someone who can guide them through the complexities, understand their unique narrative and empower them to make informed decisions. Join the conversation — what do you think about the idea of personalized guides in our healthcare journeys? #healthcare #patientexperience #holistichealthcare #patientjourney
Author of the WriteCME Roadmap | I help medical writers launch and grow a sustainable CME writing business with the ROADMAP framework
Patients are more than just their symptoms and diagnoses. As healthcare providers, we need to take the time to understand their unique desires, fears, and priorities. In the latest episode of Write Medicine, I discuss with Jay Baruch, MD prioritizing listening to our patients and understanding how their healthcare experience fits into their lives. Listen in to learn more about the importance of empathy in healthcare: https://lnkd.in/gTd6Gskv #patientcare #empathyinmedicine #healthcare
I love this idea of health agents Brad M. Patient navigators are a close approximation here. They’ve been around since the 1990s, starting in cancer and expanding to other areas of healthcare. I love your idea of integrating science, data, arts, & humanities. This points to an expanded concept of and role for navigation.
Thank you Brad M. And Alexandra Howson PhD for a very important discussion. Understanding what a condition means for a patient is key to improving health equity, closing treatment outcome disparity gaps, and the future of personalized medicine.
Freelance Medical Writer ➤ CME Specialist I Needs Assessments I Manuscripts I Slide Decks I Patient Cases I Strategy I Veterinarian I Outdoors Enthusiast 🌲
1yA most intriguing concept, Brad M. Jay Baruch's position was strongly relatable to me. During my clinical years as a veterinarian, I was a huge proponent of addressing clients' unique circumstances and was perplexed to hear in recent years of this "novel" shared decision-making. Was this not normal? Apparently not! The argument in veterinary, as in medicine, is that we don't have time. However, I think you don't have the time NOT to carefully consider a personalized approach, otherwise, your patient outcomes may be disappointing on both sides. That said, clinicians are beyond busy, so a holistic guide could be a good solution!