The Human Element

What will make healthcare "satisfactory" in the United States? Satisfaction and high quality are subjective terms that yield to several intangibles: physical state; emotional condition; perspectives of the healthcare provider and the patient. Can we ever reach a point in the U.S. where healthcare will be "satisfactory?" The answer is, unfortunately, no. Healthcare itself is an extraordinary process involving a unique marriage of professionalism and intamicy. To this country's credit, I must say, I have met some outstanding "Americans" at various hospitals here in the U.S. that have made healthcare as satisfactory as can be imagined. Putting quality based upon accessibility and cost issues aside, there is much to be proud of the healthcare "system" in this country that is seldom discussed (for many good reasons, by the way). Simply put, healthcare is a human issue - making it difficult for it to ever reach that satisfactory peak in this, or any other country. However, I have one idea for the system that might strive for such a goal: education! Educating preventive measures, in an accessible and seamless fashion, to better help our fellow citizens enjoy a better quality of life, and gain confidence in a system that may provide satisfaction unlike any other.