“The Power to Cure, Multiplied”
Reaction Paper to a News Article: “The Power to Cure, Multiplied”
The article entitled “The Power to Cure, Multiplied” written by Bornstein (2014) and published online in The New York Times on June 11, 2014 presented relevant concerns regarding a revolutionary treatment for chronic Hepatitis C. The information disclosed by Bornstein reported the more effective method of treatment through the proposed intervention of a certain hepatologist, Dr. Sanjeev Arora, at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Dr. Arora allegedly conceptualized Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) as more effective than traditional treatment procedures at the University of New Mexico’s HCV clinic . Due to the remarkable outcome, the project was reported to be extended in other health-compromise applications, including: “rheumatology, H.I.V., addiction, women’s health, hypertension, dementia, breast cancer, childhood obesity, diabetes and chronic pain” (Bornstein, 2014, par. 13). The rationale for the effectiveness of Project ECHO has been traced to the familiarity of primary care doctors on the historical health backgrounds of patients in the local settings. Likewise, attending directly to the personal health care needs of these patients enable health practitioners to coordinate the proposed interventions for patient care with other recommended medical treatments.
As noted, the Project ECHO was considered a perfect example of disruptive innovation where knowledge on health care is actively promoted in the local community settings. Likewise, as emphasized, the project is deemed eligible for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, where a reported 32 million Americans who come from poor and underprivileged areas with chronic illnesses, could benefit .
The inforamtion contained in the article is acknowledged to be relevant in terms of enhancing the public’s knowledge on seeking health care through primary care physicians in the community setting. It was, therefore, commendable to promote the success of Project ECHO as a more effective means to cure chronic illnesses, as identified above. Much hullaballoo has been communicated regarding access to a more standardized health care through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Usually, people read about the pros and cons of the ACA from different points of views. The information in the article was most beneficial in terms of understanding the perspectives of medical professionals who are commited to extend the delivery of patient care, from large health care institutions where health care costs are exhorbitant, to the local community health care settings, which are more affordable and accessible. Through the persistence of Dr. Arora, the birth and evolved application of Project ECHO proves to be a welcome intervention which proved that chronic illnesses could be effectively addressed.
One strongly agrees that the failure of the previous health care system in the United States is the skewed accessibility to affordable health care, only to those who could afford to pay health insurance. As such, for people who are improverished or those belonging to the low income level, their lack of financial resources and access to free medical care cause deteriorating health conditions leading to deaths. Likewise, concerns about capping out of pocket expenses, coverge for preventive care and inclusion of pre-existing conditions have now been appropriately addressed. It is, therefore, important that the ACA should be comprehensively explained to this minority and marginalized groups, to enable them to realize which health conditions could now be included in the ACA. Explaining the provisions of the ACA in simply lay man’s terms should be part of the local health community practitioners’ thrust to enhance awareness of the public.
In the case of the chronic illnesses above mentioned, that could be addressed using Project ECHO, the effectiveness in outcomes should serve as encouragement to extend the projet’s applicability to other illnesses. Increasing public awareness on the most pressing health dilemmas in the local community level should be the starting point for aiming to apply Project ECHO to other health conditions. For instance, cancer, which is a debilitating illness, could be closely evaluated through dissemination of public knowledge on risk factors, signs and symptoms, and interventions for prevention in the local community. As a national health initiative, prevention efforts take priority. Thus, using the theoretical framework for Project ECHO to other diseases and compromised illnesses that are most prevalent in the local community setting should be the subject of future health endeavors.
It is strongly believed that Project ECHO should also be replicated in other countries through a collaborative effort to educate health care practitioners abroad; especially in third world countries. The marked benefits of the project necessitate sharing of its framework so that more people could avail of improvement in health conditions, especially in chronic illnesses where treatment, prevention, or cure has not been effective through traditional means. One affirms that it is within the responsibility of health care practitioners; in conjunction with their commitment for standards of health care, to communicate best practices, especially that which is pegged as disruptive innovation, to the greater number of people for the greater good.
Reference
Bornstein, D. (2014, June 11). The Power to Cure, Multiplied. Retrieved from The New York Times: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/the-doctor-will-stream-to-you-now/#more-153286
