We focus much on mistakes and disparities, people rant and rave about their individual healthcare. As a community home support volunteer, I see and hear many good stories.
Dr. Brian Goldman, medical journalist.
He chose to broadcast this TED talk in which he speaks out about mistakes by physicians. Too many are afraid of admitting to mistakes. Which IS a mistake.
From the physicians to nurses, to home care professionals, we need better accountability.
As a senior's healthcare advocate and volunteer, I always have questions as I assist clients in advocating for themselves. Much is printed about elder abuse, yet most harm is done in the name of misinformation or ignorance. If we put more money into home support, especially for the poor and the working poor, our citizens would be much better off. We spend millions on preventing abuse, when the money would be better spent putting the professionals into homes, training them to recognize abuse, and speaking truth to power.
I have long advocated for regulation of personal support workers (PSW). They need to understand their scope of practice, they need more than just a certificate to enable them to provide the most intimate of care to our loved ones.
I wrote about Brian's theme on my healthcare blog:
What is your physician's medical batting average?
Uploaded on Nov 15, 2011
Physician, CBC Radio Host, and Author of "The Night Shift" Dr. Brian delivers a Talk at TEDxToronto 2011 on the theme of Redefining the Practice of Medicine.
2 comments:
I always listen to Brian Goldman. His show on mistakes and errors in the medical system is a classic. They fight against errors in the courts but that's all . I liked his comparison with the airline industry and how they work on errors but the medical system treats deaths as just par for the course.
You are very lucky to have Dr. Goldman because I've had doctors make bad mistakes with me too and not admitted it.
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