Zone medicine

 

Today’s subject is medical care.  This is a hot topic right now, because costs are going up faster than the rest of the economy.  If we think about this in zone theory, we need to think of small and intermediate solutions to the problem.

 

First aid clinics come to mind.  Many problems are small like colds or flu.  Some are intermediate like large cuts or broken bones.  These could be handled at a first aid clinic, where a doctor is resident, but only called if necessary.  Neighborhood screeners would make a determination whether or not to use a clinic or go to a hospital.

 Childbirth could be managed with midwifery.  Visiting nurses could handle home recovery programs.  In-home care could replace assisted living.  At home hospice is on the rise.

We are beginning to see the emergence of telemedicine, where the patient is monitored with a telephone or internet link.  My wife’s pacemaker is monitored this way.  Unfortunately, there is no standardization and different medical groups are implementing systems incapable of communicating with each other.  This is an area where government intervention would work wonders.

A gray area is also emerging.  People are doing holistic medicine from their homes or on the internet.  These involve naturalistic and herbal remedies, special diets, and physical programs such as yoga or massage.  Some of these people are very knowledgeable, but many are passing on folk remedies and practices that may be dangerous if misused.  Some form of control is needed here.  The internet is populated with both well managed and knowledgeable references and with snake oil salesmen. 

I see the future of medicine as a frontier area that needs both innovation and management. 

What do you think?