Paradigm

/ Victo Dolore

If one could say there is something good coming out of the pandemic it is this:

Medicine has been forced to rethink how it delivers care.

After begging for telemedicine access for years, BOOM! I have it. After being told I cannot see patients in their homes, BOOM! It is not only allowed, it is smiled upon.

I spent most of the day yesterday seeing my patients in their cars. I had regular patients that don’t have access to telemedicine out front in the morning and Covid suspect patients out back for testing in the afternoon so I was not going back and forth putting people at risk. In between I was seeing patients via telemedicine.

It struck me as I stood in the sun for a few hours that I need to start wearing sunblock in my moisturizer or I am going to get a fascinating N-95 tan line on my face if this keeps up. The temperature was close to 90 degrees (that’s 32 degrees to the majority of the non-US world) and I had ice packs in my pockets to try to stay cool in the sun while dressed in a long plastic gown with absolutely no ventilation. Dehydration could be a risk as the summer progresses and temps get up over 100 degrees (37 degrees Celsius). I can’t just take off everything to swig down some water and then pop it all back on.

But I am not complaining! I am getting to be creative, feeling like I am actually doing something productive and meaningful on a level I have not been able to experience since residency. Are there risks? Sure. But that makes it spicy.

I have not been able to respond to comments as I would like and I am sorry for that. I will catch up when this is all over and things have slowed down.

43 thoughts on “Paradigm”

  1. sometimes good things arrive from situations like this . We are having to rethink our Long Term Care facilities for seniors in Canada. More than half the deaths are resulting from the present setup and it isn’t good. Keep safe and healthy Victo. God bless.
    Leslie

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  5. I remember you saying in a comment a long time ago that you wanted to do teleworking, congrats on being able to – I just wish it could be in better circumstances.
    Don’t worry about replying to comments. Just keep yourself healthy and take care.

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  7. We’ve gone to mostly telemedicine here, too, but I’ve opted out of that as I have neither a smartphone nor a camera on my computer. I simply cancelled any routine appointments and will reschedule once the pandemic is over. However, if I did need to see my doctors, they actually have office hours, still. But the appointments are spaced apart and the patients are screened as soon as they walk into the building. And, of course, the medical personnel are all gloved and masked. In fact, now I’ll have to wear a mask for my next Remicade infusion – that’s one appointment I can’t cancel

    (Good to see you on here, Victo, and good to know you’re finding your work so fulfilling. People like you are making it so much easier for the rest of us to get through this.)

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  8. Stay safe and thank you for what you are doing. I am glad you are looking on the positive side, if one can call it that, and are appreciating the shift in the way patient care is delivered.

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  9. I had a telemedicine appointment with my doctor earlier this month. It was sort of awkward at first. The whole “Can you hear me now?” But once we got over that whole awkwardness, it flowed like a normal appointment. It was definitely an interesting experience.😄

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  13. There is always something good that comes from crisis. But they need to put you in the shade so you don’t overheat. That is seriously counter productive. I canceled the phone appt with my doctor until this is over. His time is better spent with those that need him now. There are major changes that should be made everywhere. I hope they will be for the better. Keep taking care of yourself first.

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  16. Yo Victo, look how the universe responded to your request and deep desire to service and *care for* your patients in ways you believed were beneficial, if a little outside the box. These days, we’re all needing to flex our ‘outside the box’ skills, ideas and talents. How blessed are your patients.. and YOU.

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  20. You are so right about it becoming time to embrace telemedicine. With all the technology they have now a days, it makes it so possible. We had a group of long term patients with certain diagnoses that were on a system that put a scale, cuff, thermometer, and glucose monitor and for some heart monitors in their house. They had to report in everyday by using the meters and the reading came back to a nurse who checked them out. Any issues, a call was made. Any off course readings, a call was made. No readings, a call was made. It was a really neat way to keep track of patients. Problem was it was expensive. It was being paid for by a grant from the Medical Center. So until prices for this kind of medicine come down, things won’t change. As you know, its slow to change anything in health care. Glad you are doing well.

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  30. Your positive attitude helps as you found silver linings.
    Looking ahead I hope you can keep a journal and are to share your experience and positivity with other medical professionals it would be awesome if it could internationally.

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  31. I think that, though hard, there is a lot we can learn from this epidemic. Also I am amazed how resourceful humans are. A hospital over here in Warrington has a sleep therapy centre. They have found a way of modifying the black box CPAP machines they use the as a low level ventilators. They are hooking patients up to these, with added oxygen, the minute they arrive at ICU. The patients start feeling better almost at once and as a result the into has have cut their covid mortality rate by 50%.

    Well done, stay well and stay safe.

    Cheers

    MTM

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  32. Thank you for being on the front line. And yes, it must be nice to be able to connect virtually. I’m liking connecting virtually because my doctors are all at least a 30-40 drive from my home (living out in the country has its challenges).

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  33. This is really interesting to read. It is wonderful how we are all embracing technology and using it to help us with our various jobs. I think telemedicine makes perfect sense. Why do doctors and patients have to go and sit in a waiting room and spread all their germs around.

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  35. I can picture your mask lines. To me, and lots of others I am sure, they will be an an in-style, a sign of beauty, a badge of honor. Like the French and Italians, we will want to greet you with polite air kisses on both cheeks.

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  40. The Doc is back! Hear! Hear! Yes, Victoire, many ways of working, not just medecine will change. I just got a mail form a young dermatologist I know proposing video consults. I know some “shrinks” do facetime consults with their patients…
    (No worry about comments. You’re busy…)
    Keep up the good work. And above all: stay safe.

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  42. Perhaps one of those “beer helmets” with a wide brim? The straw could fit under your mask and stay there to drink as you need, and the brim would protect you from the sun so you wouldn’t get the tan lines around the mask. Plus, you could load ice into one of the chambers to help stay cool. 😁 But on a serious note, stay safe, and THANK YOU! God bless you! ❤️

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  43. We’re finally seeing how so many things that were called impossible just weren’t convenient or “how it’s always been done”. I’m glad you’re finding ways to make this work for you. Ice packs are a brilliant idea — here’s hoping you find other tricks to make it easier on you. Stay safe and THANK YOU for all you do.

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