The truth is, in terms of virology, Ebola should not be a threat to American citizens. We have clean water. We have information. We have the means to educate ourselves, practice proper hand-washing procedures, protect ourselves with hazmat suits. The CDC Disease Detectives were dispatched to Dallas almost immediately to work on the front lines to identify those who might be at risk, who could have been exposed. We have the technology, and we certainly have the money to keep Ebola at bay. What we dont have is communication. What we dont have is a health care system that values preventative care. What we dont have is an equal playing field between nurses and physicians and allied health professionals and patients. What we dont have is a culture of health where we work symbiotically with one another and with the technology that was created specifically to bridge communication gaps, but has in so many ways failed. What we dont have is the social culture of transparency, what we dont have is a stopgap against mounting hysteria and hypochondria, what we dont have is nation of health literate individuals. We dont even have health-literate professionals. Most doctors are specialists and are well versed only in their field. Ask your orthopedist a general question about your health -- see if they can comfortably answer it. Health care operates in silos -- we cant properly isolate our patients, but we sure as hell can isolate ourselves as health care workers.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 11:03:34 +0000
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