Patient Education Libraries should be an integral part of all clinical facilities
The healthcare system today is sick because it is doctor-centric. Healthcare is fragmented and disorganized and there are too many specialists , most of whom have tunnel vision. In order to reform the healthcare ecosystem , we need to put patients at the center ! We believe that patients are the largest untapped healthcare resource ! Patients ( or their relatives and friends) are : intelligent and capable; and because they have a lot at stake , they are motivated to get good health care and will be willing to invest time and energy if given the right tools to ensure a good outcome.
We need to provide the tools directly to patients !
A very cost-effective way of doing this is to provide a patient education resource center in every facility which provides clinical care - ranging from: the doctor's clinic; pharmacies; medical laboratories; diagnostic centers; and hospitals
Patient Education
Those patients that have enhanced their healthcare knowledge again from my experiences have not applied what they have learned in the correct context. Perhaps this is due to the highly complex nature of medicine. Perhaps it is simply too much prime time television. In any event I would agree that the U.S. as a whole has a poor medical literacy rate which should be improved, but if people are not interested in learning - which is what I see, then it becomes difficult.