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Resolved: @GrandRounds Vol. 7 No. 13: What's Your Health Care Resolution for 2011?

It's the end of the year, and while most folks are resolving to lose a few pounds or see their nieces more in the new year, our bloggers are trying to make sure their patients are healthier...that we learn to use robots to teach patients to manage pain...that health care legislation works well for millions...we are an ambitious crew. Editrix Jenni Prokopy is proud to present Vol. 7, No. 13 of Grand Rounds, the last edition of 2010, chock full of fun and compelling new year's health care resolutions. Enjoy!

Resolved: Be happy.

Will Meek, PhD offers a guide to what science can tell us about increasing (and sustaining) overall happiness in the new year. Your humble Editrix confesses she has a little blogger crush on Will, especially when he explains that those who struggle with the idea of striving with happiness are not hopeless...and there's that cute beard...

Resolved: Take responsibility.

The Muse, RN says it is high time that, "We quit teaching our young that 'We are a Team!' We are not. We are individually practicing professionals with our own patient assignments and patient care assistants (sometimes) to delegate and direct. We ultimately carry the personal responsibility for each individual patient assignment we agree to take." The is She explains that nurses are individually liable and should be expressing personal liability and responsibility for their choices and actions moving forward. There is No "I" in Team, she says, but there is also no "team" in "lawsuit," "responsibility" or "certification." Compelling stuff, thinks the Editrix.

Resolved: Get more digital.

Dr. V offers up five resolutions at 33 Charts, and they're mostly digitally focused for the new year, inluding an attempt to cultivate innovative communication channels with his referring docs; fellow ChronicBabes, don't you wish EVERY ONE of your docs would do this?! (Confession: The Editrix also has a little blogger crush on Dr. V. Look, he likes her shoes, they're both from Texas, he's all into the healthcare tech...oh, there sure seems to be a trend here with the Editrix and her blogger crushes...)

Resolved: Get over yourself.

Annie Martin at It's Time to Get Over How Fragile You Are is ambitious! She offers a list of 11 habits she resolves to break in 2011, including the Editrix's favorite: "feeling guilty about my emotions." You're right, girl! It's OK to be pissed about being sick. Get pissed, feel it, then move past it and get going again. Best thing for you. The Editrix will give that one her best shot, too.

Resolved: Look beyond your nose.

Dr. Charles (in his Examining Room) says his new resolution is "to try to find connections beneath the obvious, whether that means listening to patients better or thinking outside the box. One example of this might be found in a post I wrote this week; it discusses a new Google tool that allows us to search for the prevalence of any word or phrase in over 5 million books from the past 500 years. Some of the connections are fascinating, such as when you compare how often we've written about "leeches, lobotomies, or liposuction" over the years!" The Editrix is going to take his challenge to learn if Google Ngrams can be pithy.

Resolved: Give yourself time.

The nice people at How to Cope with Pain are taking an example from Renoir, who at age 72 (when he was considered the finest painter living in France) said he was just beginning to learn his craft. They encourage folks with chronic pain to also give themselves time to learn: "I also believe we need to be patient and kind to ourselves as we face the challenge of pain, at whatever level of coping we’re at. How accomplished do you think you are in coping with pain? Are you kind to yourself at that stage???" What a lovely reminder, one the Editrix resolves to remember on her worst pain days.

Resolved: Embrace sci-fi.

Kent Bottles, MD presents us with a compelling piece asking, Will Avatars, Robots and Video Games Replace Doctors? Editrix Jenni thinks not completely, but she has used video games in biofeedback training and knows how much fun they are for learning about her body—there's a ton of potential there. She agrees with Kent: let's move forward in the coming years and get all sci-fi with our health care!

Resolved: Stay healthy no matter what health care reform brings.

InsureBlog is not loving health care reform. Oh my, they are very very upset about some statistics about medication cost hikes at children's hospitals and the potential loss of a major pool of doctors that they attribute to ObamaCare. Editrix Jenni has a sad.

Resolved: Deal with the stigma of chronic illness.

Selena at Oh My Aches and Pains! has a few resolutions, one of which Editrix Jenni can most relate to: dealing with the stigma of living with invisible illness like fibromyalgia. People, we know you can't see it, but it's so real. We promise.

Resolved: Educate educate educate.

Chris Langston at health AGEnda, the John A. Hartford Foundation Blog, talks about the organization's resolution to help education more institutions about health care for the geriatric population, who are the major consumers of health care.

Resolved: Seek balance.

At Nickie's Nook, our pal Nickie is resolving to get her health issues in more balance. She's a busy lady, with school, health, a happy guide dog to care for and more to balance. She's going to get more balance so she can focus on being a whole woman...not just a sick chick. The Editrix fully endorses this plan!

Resolved: Include the doctor for greater success.

We hate to talk about such negative stuff, but ACP Hospitalist reminds us that when mediating malpractice suits, the reality is, the presence of a doctor often means greater success. They encourage folks moving forward in the new year to participate more in the process, and Editrix Jenni thinks that's a great idea.

Resolved: Take control.

Shelley at Visible Invisibility is using social psychology to explore the experience of chronic illness, offering a patient's perspective on how helping patients to feel empowered can help them to take control of their own health and make positive changes. Editrix Jenni likes a little control now and then, too.

Resolved: Embrace uniformity.

Colorado Health Insurance Insider tells us their folks are super-confused by health insurance policies, and Editrix Jenni agrees. Who can understand all those different terms? It would be great, they say, if we had standardized language across the board. Agreed!

Posted: 12/21/2010 in Blog Carnival | Also posted in: Announcements

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