It all boils down to one simple word. Compassion. It is lacking in health care. This is not going to be a post about the haves and the have-nots. Insured vs. Uninsured. Those are topics for another day. This post will focus on what is lacking in health care for all that use it. I have worked in the health care industry in many capacities. As a direct care worker and now as a marketing rep. I have seen the good and bad of our health care system and although it is a system in need of some reforms it is also system that lacks the basic human principle of caring for one another.
Don't misunderstand, there are plenty of good people that work in health care and companies that instill a caring culture in their employees. However with the cost cutting and staff shortages that have plagued the health care system for decades, may of the staff that have longevity in the system are jaded and burnt out. Those burnt out staff are now responsible for training a new workforce of health care workers that are coming from other industries. Many of those making the career change are dong so out of necessity instead of a genuine interest in caring for other. This in my opinion represents a perfect storm that threatens our system of health care more than any legislation from Washington.
With all of the change happening in the economy, many displaced workers have looked to health care for career options. For an industry that has been short staffed for decades this is welcomed. Schools put together academic programs to meet the training demands. The problem here is as schools rush to push students through the programs, there is less focus on customer service as it is provided in the healthcare system. Most industries look at a set of numbers to determine quality of tangible products. In health care the "quality" is not as defined and depends upon an individuals perception of the service. A health care worker can provide exactly the same service to separate patients and get a different review from the customer. Most people coming from other industries fail to realize this concept. Making matters worse, most new health care workers have to learn this on the job. The industry depends on it's veteran workforce to offer this training however most don't have the time or desire to do it.
In order to put compassion back into health care, companies need to spend more time on customer service training for there employees. They must develop specialized training programs and change incentives to reward positive patient feedback. Only an effort that includes a training and incentive component will work.
Schools must also include more disability and sensitivity training into their curriculum. Only a coordinated effort from and industry and education will have the desired effect. The greatest health care system in the world depends upon it.
