It’s a Good Time to Be a Patient
This afternoon I set aside time to write and my charger is missing. I won’t say it was one of the kids and I can’t blame my husband. It couldn’t possibly be my receptionist, but regardless, I am quickly running out of juice. I resent the cost of these essential tech doo-dads on principle and don’t find a knock-off version to buy. I do find an adaptor that connects my previous computer’s charger, obsolete now, to my newer model. That teensy magnetic sqaure locks into the perfect connection, and the bright green light pops on. I am back in business!
This has me thinking about how in medicine what we most need is the right approach for the right patient at the right time. We need the right fit and it can’t be too hard to find. The pieces have to fit together with collaborative effort from providers. And it has to evolve with time and with our understanding of both the human body and the offerings of a number of medical fields.
When I have a patient with cancer, an oncology surgeon is often essential. When she wants help with strategies for prevention of recurrence, she may do better with a naturopathic doctor. When a patient has a bad skiing accident what he needs is a doctor trained in trauma care and then an orthopedic specialist. But then to sidestep pain medication and the possibility of addiction, he should find an acupuncturist and a massage therapist or someone who specialize in body/mind medicine.
As we celebrate Naturopathic Medicine Week, I am ever grateful for a career in this field and for access to the full range of medical providers. Making access to health care—all forms of health care— should be a national priority, as health care is a right, not a privilege.
Our best medicine includes an integrated approach where the wonders of evidence based forms of natural medicine fully complement the diagnostic, pharmaceutical, genetic and technology-forward offerings from the dominant medical model. With options across the board increasingly available, it’s a goodtime to be a patient.
#BetterHealthTogether & #NatMedWeek2022 #NaturopathicMedicine #DrAmyRothenberg