Imagine a team of invested individuals sitting around the boardroom table discussing issues that are vital to the health of the organization. The CEO sits at the head of the table, because he or she has the final say in all matters. The CEO is smart and has hand picked the other individuals sitting around the table, each one an expert and indispensable resource. Together the team discusses challenges, options, interventions, and desired outcomes.
No member of the team is more important than another. The team works as one competent entity, working in sync with all available information. While members rely on the specialized expertise of each member of the team, it is well understood that the CEO must be kept fully informed, because the CEO is the ultimate expert on the organization as a whole.
Now imagine the same scenario with the patient as the CEO of the organization, the organization representing the totality of the CEO's own health and well being. Around the table sit registered nurses, nursing assistants, physicians from various areas of specialty, as well as a dietician, a pharmacist and other experts. Meetings regarding the CEO's health and well-being take place in his or her presence. The CEO is educated by the experts in order to facilitate intelligent, informed decision making. At the same time, the CEO, who has been with the organization since its inception, educates the experts to enable them to do a thorough, accurate, and effective assessment of the organization and its needs.
The message here should be clear. Patients and health care professionals are on the same team. The professionals are educated and experienced and bring important expertise to the table. The patient is also an expert in his or her own right and also brings important information to the table.
The healthcare team is just that...a TEAM. Therefore, as we discuss patient safety in the hospital and related healthcare issues, there is no need for blog that speaks to patients and excludes healthcare professionals. Likewise, there is no need for a blog that speaks to healthcare professionals and excludes patients.
Working together, team members are not segregated based on education, titles, or annual income. The team, with the CEO at the head of the table, can preserve the health and vitality of the organization. Ultimately everyone wins.
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