BTS Health Digest #11 - The Collaborative Nature of Healthcare: Recognizing Each Healthcare Professional's Importance.

Introduction

Healthcare is a multifaceted industry where professionals from many specialties collaborate to deliver thorough patient care. In order to provide high-quality healthcare services, each healthcare worker has a special and important duty to play. We have medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists, medical records officers, paramedics, porters, ambulance drivers, etc. The list is endless. Unfortunately, there have been several instances of hierarchies and misunderstandings between different healthcare professions, leading to suboptimal collaboration and ultimately impacting patient care. I have seen surgeons look down on the internal medicine physicians and vice versa. In some centers, you see the culture of disrespect across specialties and ranks, which should not be the case.

In this month’s newsletter, we stress the value of each and every healthcare worker and highlight the advantages of establishing a peaceful and courteous workplace for better patient care.

Team-Based Approach:

Patient needs are very complex and varied, hence the need for a team-based approach in delivering healthcare. Whether a doctor, nurse, or allied health specialist, each professional brings a unique set of skills and knowledge to the table. Healthcare professionals can pool their expertise, make knowledgeable choices, and develop thorough care plans that consider both the medical and non-medical facets of a patient's well-being by working together as a team.

Holistic Patient Care:

Patients are distinct individuals with physical, emotional, and social aspects to their health, not just a collection of symptoms and indicators. Holistic patient care results from valuing each healthcare professional's contributions. Doctors and nurses work together to give patients direct care and emotional support while using their combined medical expertise. Pharmacy technicians oversee proper medicine administration, while allied health professionals help with recovery and general well-being. A patient-centered approach nurtures the overall health of individuals and improves health outcomes.

Improved Patient Safety:

Patient safety is improved through effective coordination between healthcare workers. Medical errors can be avoided with the help of nurses, and other team members. The quality of patient care is increased, and adverse occurrences are decreased through the rapid resolution of possible problems thanks to collaborative decision-making.

Knowledge Sharing:

Each healthcare profession involves continuous learning acquired through direct patient care, conferences, workshops, and academic journals. When healthcare professionals share knowledge with each other, it enriches the entire team's understanding and approach to patient care. Doctors can learn valuable insights from nurses' frontline experiences, and nurses can benefit from pharmacists' in-depth knowledge of medications. This exchange of knowledge creates a symbiotic relationship, enriching the quality of care provided. It breaks my heart when during events like mortality reviews, and grand rounds are used as moments to humiliate colleagues rather than teach them to be better. It is something I experienced firsthand, and honestly, it is a culture that has to change for us to move forward.

Efficient Healthcare Delivery:

Collaboration across disciplines improves the efficiency of healthcare delivery. Smoother processes, fewer duplications, and better resource utilization are the results of effective communication and respect between team members. Patient care is delivered more effectively, and healthcare institutions are better able to meet the needs of their patients when all team members work together.

Positive Work Environment:

For the wellbeing of employees working in the healthcare industry, it is crucial to promote an inclusive and courteous work environment. Job satisfaction and morale rise when healthcare professionals recognize and encourage one another's contributions. Better patient outcomes are ultimately the result of a productive workplace that also decreases burnout.

Adaptation to Changing Demands:

The healthcare industry is constantly changing, with new problems and innovations appearing frequently. Healthcare organizations that embrace interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork are better able to respond to these changes. Professionals are better equipped to address growing healthcare trends and technological breakthroughs when they collaborate to share ideas and viewpoints.

Conclusion

No professional can care for a patient alone. For example, the doctor cannot see a patient, make a diagnosis, conduct the laboratory tests, admit the patient, administer the medications, provide daily bedside care, discharge the patient, and do follow up care alone!

Every specialty and member of the healthcare industry plays a special and crucial part in providing patients with treatment. Delivering complete, patient-centered care requires effective communication and collaboration between physicians, nurses, chemists, and other allied health professionals. In addition to improving patient safety and healthcare delivery efficiency, valuing, and honouring one another's contributions produces a healthy work atmosphere. We can work together to improve the health outcomes for our patients and create a stronger, more resilient healthcare system by adopting a team-based approach and recognizing the value of every healthcare practitioner.

Upcoming Conference

If you are interested in health tech, especially trends like AI and machine learning, I have good news for you. The First African AI Conference which is fully virtual will hold on the 4^th of October 2023. The Summit’s objective is to foster dialogue, share ideas, learn from successful AI implementations on the continent, and network amongst Africans in the AI translational space. Register here to book your pass. Attendance is completely FREE! If you would love to be a sponsor or partner, fill the form here and the organizers will be in touch.

YouTube Channel Update

I have been busy on the creative side, filming YouTube videos. Here are my top four recommendations:

1. How a medical doctor became a successful Jeweler.

2. Why I quit Medicine after 10 Years.

3. How to avoid stories that touch in Health Tech.

4. Strategy to apply for jobs abroad.  

5. Earn as much as $267,000 as an Occupational Health Physician

Upcoming Webinars

There are four webinars scheduled for this month, and all of them are on the weekend to make sure you have the best chance to attend. They are:

1. Introduction to social media

2. Monetizing Social Media

3. Social Media Management for Beginners

4. How to get UK Jobs

Job Openings in Nigeria & UK.

1. Public Health Senior Analyst at Helium Health

2. Quality Improvement Manager, NHS Sussex ICB

3. Clinical Quality Improvement Manager, North East and North Cumbria ICB

4. Project Manager, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust

5. Project Manager, NHS Blood and Transplant

NB. Ensure that you read the job description and person specification thoroughly before applying for these UK jobs. By writing a very strong supporting statement, you stand a very good chance of landing a sponsored job role in the UK in the health tech space particularly the NHS.

MRI Medic Internships Placement Scheme

We got significant registrations when this was shared on the 1st of this month. If you are interested or know someone who does, please sign up or share this post with them. So, if you are a healthcare professional seeking internship, sign up here and if you are a healthcare /Healthtech founder seeking interns, sign up here, and we will be in touch.

International Health Days

1. August 1^st – World Lung Cancer Day

2. August 6^th – National Fresh Breath Day

3. August 1^st – 7^th – World Breastfeeding Week

4. August 12^th – International Youth Day

5. August 20^th – World Mosquito Day

6. August 31^st – International Overdose Awareness Day

Till I write you again,

Have a beautiful August.

Cheers,

Dr. Ron

Behind The Scenes in Health with Dr.Ron is managed by MRI Medic Consulting, a healthcare consulting and creative digital agency. If you would love to sponsor an episode of the newsletter, please get in touch at ronald@mrimedic.com

Our goal is to help healthcare brands become better with their social media presence, and we do this through training webinar sessions with clients, health content creation, social media management.

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