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How do we leverage amazing technology while making the healthcare system more human?
My niece, Mei Mei, is two years old but fits into the clothes of a one-year-old. A simple cut to Mei Mei’s toe bleeds for days, and her mom prays for a positive outcome.
Three hours after being admitted to New York Central Hospital, Mei Mei lies on a gurney in the emergency room corridor, shivering, yet to see a doctor. She and her mom watch medical staff scurry by, a nurse stares intently at his digital tablet, and a physician glances at her phone. But none stop to help Mei Mei, for more than three hours.
The stark contrast between technology’s potential and our human failures is visible all around us, yet perhaps nowhere more glaring than in healthcare. While those of us outside that industry may be unaware, the toll on healthcare workers is as extreme as on patients, with stress, suicide, and desire for a new occupation common.
Tens of thousands of people are working on fixes to the American healthcare system. Purported technical solutions, political solutions, and transparency-based solutions abound.
Yet, technology doesn’t solve problems. People solve problems. And we solve them most effectively when we work together.
If you’re a patient, a sincere smile for your doctor or nurse provides a small spark of the humanity that system frequently lacks. And if you’re a healthcare worker, a meaningful touch on a colleague’s shoulder when they’re down can make a difference.
A transformative healthcare solution will require a clear, shared vision of that system’s role in society, leadership accepting responsibility for that role, and a reintroduction of meaningful collaboration. Yet, the resulting social responsibility of such a system will benefit everyone.
Have you taken any steps to make the healthcare system more human for your patients– or for your doctors and nurses?
Please also share your thoughts in the comments or by sending me an email: info@RodWallacePhD.Com.
Our society cannot just survive. For the sake of our children, it must thrive.
Rod
Dr. Rod Wallace is an economist, consultant, and speaker who helps businesses make more money by solving society’s problems. A Fulbright Fellow, he has led multi-organization billion-dollar initiatives worldwide and partnered with a Silicon Valley pioneer to explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence on society.
Rod speaks about how to integrate social responsibility into business to maximize profit and purpose. He highlights digital technology’s impact on society and the strategies and tools with which business can solve our big, systemic problems.
Contact Rod at info@RodWallacePhD.com.