Restoring the "Care" Back in Health Care

There is a contemporary global drive to improve Health Care. Restoring the "Care" back in Health Care is of utmost importance. In my opinion, restoring Care back should start with making “Health Care" the primary term and not Healthcare. Subsequently, it may serve as a constant reminder to Care for patients.

The principal aim of Health Service Organizations (HSOs) should be about caring for patients with a health condition, including maintaining and sustaining health. There is no question that most individuals who work in Health Care, do have empathy for their patients. Admittedly, the work of HSO providers is to bolster not only the patient health but also their wellbeing by caring about them as a person. Health Care should be all about caring for patients and in a broader scope, the community.

It would be erroneous to think that I am advocating for ignoring the business aspect of Health Care. The need for focusing on profit share and future relevance in the market segment is imperative. However, when you consider on a personal level, is your life not worth more than health care bills?

Customers sustain the business of Health Care. Patients have options because of a proliferation of HSOs in the market. Most patients will take their business elsewhere if they do not feel cared for by the HSO. Caring, therefore, is imperative for remaining a viable HSO business. Thus, there is an economic incentive to Care for patients. Besides, it is nonmaleficence and ethical.

Here are the Five Essential Self-inquires for Individuals, HSOs, and Community to Ensure they put the Care Back in Health Care:

1. What are we doing every day to put Care back in Health Care? Granted that most people in HSO do Care—however, making it an ingrained daily practice is crucial. Imagine how it feels to receive love and Care. Everyone needs Love and Care. We can easily do this by being more present, slowing down, and noticing the needs and wants of those we serve.

2. Do we remember that patients who are sick are not just statistics? People who are ill have a temporal, or long-term health need. Getting sick affects lifestyle. Being sick is life-altering. While many HSO providers may have the best intention to improve and treat patients, sometimes the daily mundane responsibilities and burnout contribute to patients being treated like another statistics. Patients are people! Life is delicate and requires Caring and patience. The key to not managing people like they are numbers is to place ourselves in the patient's shoes.

3. Are we balancing the soft and hard aspects of biomedicine? Soft medicine involves including the patient in a discussion about their health care. Hard medicine refers to physicians using test result etc. to help with diagnosis and prescription for treating patients. Medical Schools have to do more to incorporate Caring in the physician learning curriculum, including other allied education programs.

4. How can we create a culture of Caring for patients and Community?The process and outcomes in the HSOs should incorporate Caring. Caring should be exemplified by everyone in the HSO. Thus, the Caring initiatives must require systemic consideration. Caring should be made part of the values statements.

5. How do we sustain Caring in Health Care?Currently, there are not enough systems to report Caring as a quality indicator and key performance indicator. HSOs have to decide on the Caring components that are the most critical. HSOs must support and engage employees in embracing Caring and excellence. HSO have to remove barriers that make it laborious for the employees to do the right thing. A framework for sustaining Caring should be developed in which providers can track those indicators to measure progress and outcomes.