Healthcare has a curative mentality. Medical Doctors are trained to perform expensive procedures and prescribe medication intended to regulate dysfunction or re-align what got off track. This is great for keeping disease at bay, but what if instead we looked at the reason we got off track in the first place.
Instead of performing a knee replacement, what if we started to exercise and lose weight to take stress of the joints.
Instead of having state of the art hospitals that can fend off the effects of diabetes, we educate the public on the effects of diet and poor lifestyle habits, empowering the patient to change early on.
Healthcare does seem to be slowly headed in the direction of preventative medicine, but this transition is much too slow. Rarely are these options of prevention taken seriously in today’s culture of medicine.
If it was…
A dietician would meet monthly with patients with diabetes, covered by insurance.
Personal trainers would be viewed as key elements of heathcare and referred to frequently by family practice doctors.
Medical school would have far more emphasis on diet and benefits of exercise rather than endless memorization of drugs and side effects.
Physical therapists would not be viewed as providers for “post-surgical care” but rather first line providers for joint and muscle pain.
The 30% of most states tax dollars delegated to Medicaid and Medicare would reduce significantly.
This change starts with the individual… the beauty of capitalism is that when the majority speaks they are heard. Lets change.
