Connectivity – Contributions from the Network #10 – Paul Lagerman

Thanks to everyone who sent me comments and thoughts on the Connectivity writing project.  Over the next few days I’ll post up some of the feedback and thoughts that these pieces.  Remember to send comments on these things too and I’ll pull them all together.

This post came from Paul Lagerman – The Naked Physio.

Paul Lagerman

Historically society has created disability evolving from eras such as the industrial revolution. We have invented and provided practical means and solutions to speed up our lives but at risk of potential harm and injury. Yet once an individual is rendered ‘disabled’ an ostricization occurs from society, with minimal support to re-enable the individual into society. The medical model and society’s prejudice creates a different perspective towards disability rather than empowering and emancipating.
I have had the absolute privilege of meeting some fantastic individuals that have managed to ‘cope’ with minimal support who have achieved what society would deem impossible but to them is part of their everyday life. That to me is laudable.

A paradigm shift is coming in the way we need to connect and collaborate with our fellow health professionals. Dogma and hierarchy have not worked up until now, so why should it continue? I respect the theory behind reductionism in biomedicine as it has educated me to understand the components that make up the human body and appreciate how it interacts within itself and the outside world. However it has also educated me in respecting why, when and how other health professionals can assist me in providing a patient-centred approach, which I believe should be reciprocal. Respecting each other makes for better interdisciplinary relationships.

A fundamental aspect of connectivity is communication, for example being receptive to communication, ditching the dogmatic opinions of ‘I know best’ or succumbing to the demands of the patient when their demands may not be in line with best practice. Welcoming support from other health professionals skilled in specific areas to agree ‘what’s best for the patient’ (in agreement with the patient) can facilitate a better relationship and create unique networks within the wider healthcare community.

I believe costs continue to rise in healthcare due to the lack of intercollaborative working that can lead to rash decisions such as onward referral for unnecessary scans or prescriptions. Sharing our ideas and thoughts is so important to the future of public health. We owe it to ourselves and the public to communicate openly, sharing our experiences and knowledge amongst all professions respecting opinions and making decisions based on best practice, evidence, and considering the needs, not the demands of the patient.