Whatever you do - DON'T LOOK ON THE INTERNET! - Part 2

So, if you read to the last blog I wrote, you'll see I am in the midst of talking about healthcare, the need for reformation of the system, and how alternative healthcare has a very important role to play in the future of our health delivery systems.

Six hundred years ago, when people began to question their priests about what was in the bible that they heard read every Sunday, they were often told not to be concerned about it, the safety of their immortal souls was safe in the hands of the church. These smiling and helpful priests that read the mystical words were there to look after them, after all. Oh, And don't forget to pay your tithe on your way out of the vestry door.

Being largely illiterate, unable to read or write in Latin  and essentially without education, one had to defer to the wisdom of the priest. Sound familiar?

The reformation in the 16th century led to wars throughout Europe, and the great ecclesiastical schism that later resulted in thriving churches reflecting the national character of the countries in which they developed. The Anglican Church, the Church of England, became so good at this that we have long enjoyed having more Anglicans in Nigeria than we do in England - something even the most pragmatic of theologians has to find extraordinary. We've been praying to our English god, in an English heaven, for years - in English.

Now, I am not suggesting we are going to see armies of homeopaths, allied with naturapaths and chiropractors going into battle against dermatologists and pharmacists  on battlefields across Europe, however there is something of a conflict coming. The winds of war are blowing through the aisles of the health food store.

And what's really driving this? Well, it would appear that one of the most powerful forces is the undeniably powerful influence - the market. People prefer having a choice. Give people allopathic healthcare for free, and they still look for alternative healthcare solutions. It simply won't go away, even if it is effectively outlawed. The market demands choice.

The market also demands information. Patients can read. In some cases they really are better informed than their doctors. Doctors would be the first to claim they are too busy to read everything on the internet, but actually a patient who is taking an active interest in his health may well read some very important research.

It's realistically possible that a patient knows more about his condition than many GPs and some specialists.
Open discussion of healthcare issues online often helps patients, and any doctor foolish enough to treat a patient dismissively needs to consider what their profile looks like on Rate Your MD.com or other such websites. If it is not too great, while they may not be concerned, their future employers will be. The reality is that a dismissive doctor will probably not be taken as seriously by a patient as an alternative healthcare provider that has the time to listen, is motivated by producing results that serve the patient, and treats them with respect. Failing grades in these areas for MDs is not only common, but is part of the systemic failure of modern healthcare.

So, given that there's choice out there, and that the world of alternative medicine is growing in stature, where does this take us? Where ever it is, it's going to get interesting. Alternative healthcare providers of all colours and shapes - from hypnotherapists to nutritionist - are being trained in ever greater numbers, at a time where orthodox healthcare is finding training increasingly expensive and difficult. Alternative healthcare providers are being taken increasingly seriously by patients, who are often disaffected with orthodox healthcare. There are more and better schools for alternative healthcare systems than ever before. Standards are getting better, and while alternative healthcare is often opposed to regulation, the industry has one over riding factor that cannot be overlooked. Practitioners that are good at what they do tend to stay in business. Those that are not, don't. The market sorts it all out. That can't be said of orthodox healthcare providers. It's virtually impossible to fire a doctor, regardless of how massively incompetent they may be.

The culture of arrogance among doctors was once quaint and excusable. It's not anymore. Healthcare spending - and make no mistake, that means orthodox healthcare spending - accounts for 24% of the US Federal Budget for 2013. That's one percent more than defense.

Now, one has to start to question that spending. The questions are simple ones. Are we getting value for our money? Is the system working?

There will inevitably be a backlash. How or when it will come is anyone's guess, but it will happen. When it does alternative health systems will probably have to pick up the pieces. How will this look, I can't begin to say. However, I would suggest that this is part of the answer. As alternative healthcare providers we do need to learn from the mistakes of allopathic healthcare. We can't afford to be arrogant. We need to focus on the idea of listening to a patient, or client, or whatever you chose to call the person you are helping. And above all, we need to retain an open mind, or we will become exactly the thing we are set to replace.