How healthcare has changed in the past 10 years

Unfortunately, it has been a long time ago since I started medical school. Alongside the disgrace of being quite a permanent emigrant, there has been the blessing of working in three completely different NHSs. While the differences are substantial, there is only one component that has not changed and I don't think will change ever: the patient. Whatever is the country of origin, social background, belief, age, race or skin colour, the patient is always the same. They have the same concerns, they look at and thank you the same way, they ask you the same questions.

But I confirm the healthcare has changed. If you listen to politics, it has changed for the better. There are lots of things true in their statements. We have managed to increase the average life expectancy to over 80, or because we have beaten lots of diseases... these are always acknowledged and welcomed, of course. But on the other side, there are changes for the worse. People are misinterpreting the life expectancy, people don't want to die anymore regardless of the underlying conditions related to age. Despite the treatments are delivered the same way as every human being, if something happens, if something goes wrong, there is always the medical staff to pay the consequences, there has to be always someone responsible for. There is a variability of this phenomena in different countries but it is essentially the same everywhere. This has brought to an increasing number of claims which has become a huge burden for the NHS and public expense.

Then there is the other factor who has caused the system to get worse according to my opinion. The hospitals have ceased to have patients, they have started to have customers. The doctors are requested to be managers and this has, always in my opinion, turned them away from the patients or, at least, make the doctors having less time to dedicate to them.

We live in a new era, in a new economy which everyone needs adaptation. The information is at everyone's use and availability. My opinion and strategy are to give the right information to our patients and not only to them. Disclosure or divulgation of the right information might narrow the divergences, reduce the misunderstanding, reinforce the doctor-patient relationship, increase their trust on what we do with heart and dedication, reduce our stress and increase our wellbeing.

I

#changes #medicalpractices #bestpractices #doctor-patient relationship