Considering Health

This week, let’s consider cancer and the role of the medical team to the patient.  I do not believe health care providers are out of touch with the patient experience as suggested in “The Power of Patient Blogs: A Window into the Lived Experience.” To say that health care providers need to change the way they care for cancer survivors is a partial truth.

True, health care providers can always improve care that they give and manage to cancer patients. They are human, after all, so there is always room for improvement. But hold on for a second; it’s not necessarily true that providers will benefit from, or should give time to, reading patient blogs.

Oncology includes the oncologist, the treatment nurses specially trained in the administering of cancer drugs, and a surgeon. The surgeon might have a role that seems to end post surgery but I disagree. Surgeons are the greatest, I think, in compartmentalizing their emotions. That’s an important skill for anyone in health care. These health care providers could not, I believe, be more sympathetic to the cancer patient and family by reading blogs.

In my experience, the oncologist and the rest of the care team, have a front row seat with the patient, and in the long time span from initial diagnoses to the end (whatever the end may be) the physician and patient come to know each other. Within the case loads of patients to providers, there isn’t anything more real relating to cancer than those health care provider and cancer patient conversations. These conversations cultivate and define the cancer patient experience.

Are you or someone close to you struggling through cancer treatments? What has your experience been like?

My path started one year ago with social media networking sites: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others that have grown along the way. I was fresh out of graduate school; eager for work opportunities I feel passionate about.

One tipping point for me with social media was when I became aware that people are simply people, like me and like you. You see, for years, I lived intimidated by authority figures, afraid to break rules, fearful of being yelled at. Thankfully, a number of positives reduced those negatives over time.  My social self awareness grew as did that of my environment, my peers, my lifestyle. My own self went through a social media revolution as a result of graduate school.

Social media networking sites have opened my eyes to real world situations, relationships, including virtual relationships, and how marketing, specifically, social media marketing and social media networking can impact oneself, for better or worse–that is entirely up to you. It’s a global impact, really.

I take comfort in knowing I am not alone. In instances where I stumbled, many others stumbled before me; there is nothing to be ashamed of and everything to gain in laughing at oneself. People are people, just like you and I, no matter what their title, professional, or academic standing. I wish someone had told me that secret twenty years ago.

Social media has grown beyond Facebook and Twitter now. Businesses and healthcare organizations are looking quizzically at social media optimization and social media integration, inbound marketing, content marketing, strategic marketing. Some of it is new thinking, while some is old thinking with a twist. The social question seems to be: How can I make these different platforms work together for my brand, my business? It’s a good question.

How can we make it better? Make good better starting with you Take a deep breath, let it out slow, realize if they can do it, so can you. Take time to formulate original thought. Become aware of your role in getting to a better place. It is your business to represent yourself, or your company, or profession with your thoughts. Exercise your brain, insert original thinking into social media.

Original thought is something sorely lacking in our cut and paste or click on Like, social media society. It’s true, not everyone is a writer or likes to compose. Still, many writers are available to help communicate, formulate, extrapolate, elaborate; you get the picture. Now get your message out there.