I was thinking about the unthinkable thoughts of just a few months ago before C-19 (covid-19). What was absurd thinking way back then, is now progressive?

A friend of mine related several examples of this in an email to me. With her permission, I want to share these with you. It is a fascinating glimpse as to how we can leapfrog into new ways of doing things.

First, a straightforward one that is currently in broad-scale practice. A teleconference replaced a face to face appointment with my friend’s doctor. She made an appointment to discuss the test results of her bloodwork with her doctor. The clinic subsequently cancelled it. She called her office and asked if she could have a consultation over the telephone. Now, of course, this is the new norm.

For this to happen, the health system realized that a phone medical appointment could be as effective as an in-office appointment in some situations. The government raised the compensation to physicians to the equivalent of an in-office appointment.

A second example. A relative of my friend just recently had to Aigo the hospital to have bloodwork done. She said that’s crazy. Why can’t he go to a local clinic? They can send the results to his doctor at the hospital. Think of all the driving back and forth, and the cost of parking at the hospital. Maybe the new normal will eliminate these unnecessary trips to the hospital.

A third example. Last year my friend broke her hip and had 30 metal staples in her leg. The hospital gave her sterile staple remover upon discharge. Her doctor “didn’t feel comfortable” removing them, so her daughter watched a video on YouTube and removed them. The new normal? Why not?

And finally, her friend was suffering for three weeks with kidney stones, and she finally went to the Emergency Department. No one was there, just her. What has happened to all the sick people? I don’t mean C-19 patients, but people with other serious illnesses or emergencies like my friend. It is bizarre.

Just as necessity is the mother of invention, so too is the pandemic the mother of new ways. There is no doubt the virus has caused unimaginable hardship and sorrow and many families. We shouldn’t rush too fast to an unthoughtful future. To glean what benefits we can from this pandemic, we need to be thoughtful, while not fearing the future just because it might be different. Take the changes that are helpful and leave the rest.

Time will tell how this will all play out.

My thanks to a regular reader of my Blog for the inspiration for this topic.

My thanks to St. Albert Seniors Association: 780-459-0433 for making this Blog possible.

Glenn Walmsley
Volunteer