Virtual Reality, Virtual Nothing! Can Robots Replace Doctors?

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It seems like yesterday…we were all locked in our homes, worried about COVID, missing our families, and concerned about our seniors.  Remember the news?

But today, so much has changed.  Things seem so virtual. The words Virtual reality seem to be the biggest sellers but everyone knows that what is real and what is fake is based on how it’s spins.

Medicine has become virtual. I found out that Medicare is going to move forward with paying for so much more in medical treatments, virtually (telemedicine).

Doctors across the country will see, treat, and educate their patients, virtually. The problem is…doctors are trained to be observant. How many times have I asked the nurses to have the patient sit in a comfortable chair.  When I come into the exam room, I ask the patient to sit on the exam table so I can WATCH ???? how they move.  Are they steady on their feet?  Do I think they might fall? Do they have the strength they need?  How can virtual medicine give me this information?

So what is VIRTUAL REALITY?

Visiting your own doctor in a zoom call?

Getting courses on your illness through online study?

Counseling online?

Physical therapy online?

Labs ordered?

Tests done online?

Nutritionists online?

Can we try our hand at VIRTUAL caregiving?

Now, if only we can figure out how to get virtual help for you, the caregiver.

Wait! Not physical but virtual?  Hmmm.

What would that look like?

Who is going to feed our loved ones? Make sure they take their meds? Bath them? Clean them? Tuck them in at night?

Who would laugh with them, hold their hand, and give them support when they want to walk? Make sure they get what they need?

See the difference?

How can we put virtual into the life of a caregiver and their senior?  We can’t.

We all know that babies who are not touched will fail to thrive.  Are we “extincting” ourselves?

Nothing can replace the human touch we give ourselves and our loved ones, can it? 

Maybe “virtual reality” is an oxymoron and needs to be debunked in the caregiving world we all live in.

Keep doing what you do best: caring, touching, and loving the one you’re with.

About the Author

Do you feel frustrated with your medical care? Do doctors spend 5 minutes with you, push you out of the office, with you wondering what's going to happen? Does your insurance deny paying? You're not alone. I'm frustrated, too. This is a growing trend in healthcare. Having seen pre-insurance medicine (yes, my dad was an old country doctor), I grew up watching him spend time with his patients, giving them the best care he had to offer. I saw families trust him to help them through hospitalizations and the next crisis. As a patient advocate, my job is to see that you get the right diagnosis, the right treatment plans, and the right supplies and education to make good decisions about your health. More importantly, I will teach you the tricks of the healthcare trade. We need more healthcare consumer protection, especially for chronic illnesses like diabetes. This is what I am passionate about. I make it happen every day with thousands of patients who now know what I know about beating the healthcare system and getting the best patient care...Patient Best.

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