This British Medical Journal essay urges doctors and patients to start thinking differently about what it means to be returned to health. The U.S. authors envisions medicine that doesn't stop at the hospital door but sets conditions for a healthy life thereafter, especially for the aging and for those living with chronic conditions. They explain the medical system needs to work early with the patient to create conditions that will restore normal life functions and prevent an additional health crisis. Its case study details this could include working from the start with both the patient and their family on diet and exercise and counseling to help them get over their fear of physical activity. A psychiatrist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto whose specialty is treating people with physical illness is quoted, agreeing with the call for a different way of understanding and thinking about illness.
NBHC Care Experience