I have always though that there should be two types of prescriptions; one should be for medicine to alleviate symptoms and one should be for improving health so that these symptoms show up less frequently (or ideally, never again). One would think that big business insurance companies would be promoting something like this in order to reduce medical claims, but I really don't see anything other than a woman's yearly exam (preventative) or your yearly health physical (which I have not done since grade school, because you had to do it for sports-tisk tisk). But even then, there is little education going on in the room unless you come prepared with questions for the MD...why is that? Busy, too many patients, not what they have been trained to do? At my last yearly, my MD recommended I get a colonoscopy at 40 due to family history. That was good advice, but what about information on improving my digestive/excretory health. Diet information, for example. I am pretty good about doing my own research, but are most people doing this? I would assume, no.
Could that become part of a nurse's job? The nurse could present the MD's two prescriptions and then explain. The nurse could provide web addresses to go to for more information. I would love to be a wellness nurse. I think back to when I had my son and the postpartum nurses called my house to check on me. I thought that was really cool. They called to see if I had any questions, to see how I was feeling, nursing, recovering. They made great suggestions and provided resources for breastfeeding difficulties, postpartum depression, and childcare. The care I received was less about the pain pill medications, but about the mental and overall physical well-being of mom and baby. Loved it.
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