Dr. Welch Reading

Three Interesting Things:

1.) The first concept that I found interesting relates to all of the major healthcare professions talked about in the Ch. 2 reading. Each profession was briefly described as to what their goals are on a daily basis as well as the education they must endure in order to reach standards. The pharmacists, physicians, physician assistants, and pharmaceutical technicians all have a very clean cut jobs in terms of what their day to day activities are as well as what is expected of them. Unlike these, when the nurses profession was described there was more talk about their emphasis on caring for the whole patient rather than what is technically expected from them. Later in the chapter it talked about patients focused care and interdisciplinary care but yet how can these topics be harped on if the nurses are the ones responsible for the patients over all experience. I guess it just baffled me how the nurses position was the last discussed but yet it is the most important especially with their lack of pay but mandatory extensive education. How can the ideas of patients center care be discussed as a whole for the health care system when only one aspect of a patients journey is being pinned to a nurses day to day job. I just thought how each profession was described so differently was interesting. 

2.) Something else I found interesting was the vast amount of specialties that pharmacists can chose. The reading states that they can choose ambulatory care, pharmacy administration, drug information, community practice, industry, geriatrics, manged-care, long-term care, home health care, pediatrics, critical care, internal medicine, psychiatry, pharmacokinetics, oncology, and nutrition support. When I thought of the profession I assumed that there were community or generic pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, and research. I was unaware of the avenues that you could take. Despite this the reading says that 60% of pharmacists work in community pharmacies. I am wondering if this is because you just need a generic education compared to a specific field of study which could result in a higher cost for your education. 

3.) I think the idea of digital therapeutics or other connected devices are a great way to improve the industry, The healthcare industry is seeming to try to think more like a business rather than a compilation of services. Thinking more like a business and at their patients as consumers rather then sick beings, they are able to take into account the needs and wants of the consumer outside of health. In this day in age even with the growing elderly population, a more digital approach to life is a must. Every aspect of a consumers life is just about ran by technology so allowing patients to have access to an app or online tool for their treatment for their medical condition, makes their journey more efficient and effective. If the healthcare industry continues to have this outlook they will increase their customer satisfaction as well as build a tight knit relationship. 

Three Questions:

1.) If patient focused care is so important to the health care system, why are all professions not on the same level in this area? All professions should be extensively educated in this area rather one profession more than another. 

2.) How is employment of pharmacists "expected to grow faster than average" if there are more pharmaceutical technicians being hired due to the lower pay, increasing technology limiting job growth, and a push for pharmacists to be in long term, ambulatory, or home care facilities rather than hospitals?

3.) Will having digital therapeutics create more jobs or take jobs away due to its artificial intelligence? Can it be used in the pharmacy setting?