The commentary of Mr. Stefanides on “Appreciating Health Care Professionals” was sincere and heartfelt. Over the past 40 years, I have been a practicing physician, in pathology and laboratory medicine. The delivery of healthcare has become complex and at times seems impersonal. However, the satisfaction and gratification received by helping people is still very rewarding.
Healthcare has evolved to be a complicated process of multiple interactions, documentation, and protocols. The growing need for healthcare professionals has resulted in many allied health professionals replacing fully trained doctors. The increased cost of medical care is largely due to the technological advances in radiologic imaging, robotic surgery, molecular laboratory testing, and targeted drug therapies.
The result of all of this is that we are living longer, better lives and have more expectations for the quality of our lives. In the past few years, I have been on the receiving end of the healthcare system multiple times. The compassionate and personal care from my providers, be they nurses or doctors, was a very important part of my care! However, in today’s world a “healthcare provider” is required by law to do and ask many things.
Helping your doctor or provider with a “brief information card” summarizing your major medical diagnoses, past major medical events with dates, and medications (or a phone app with all this information) will help them tremendously and expedite your health care. This just may leave them a moment more for that caring and irreplaceable compassion.
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