| There is so much debate regarding the state of | | | | their awareness of what is true about their health |
| our healthcare system today and while everyone | | | | even if this is not currently perceivable to them. |
| involved from the politicians to the economists, | | | | This is a difficult step as the patient must have |
| the doctors to the patients all hope for | | | | faith in what the practitioner is saying and trust |
| improvement we are faced with the ever | | | | that over time their own effort will bear the fruit |
| common dilemma of whose opinion is "the right | | | | of transformation. They must also become |
| one." Unfortunately (or fortunately), for all | | | | interested in their place within this larger |
| involved, the issue with healthcare is an issue of | | | | perspective. If patients can begin to see their own |
| consciousness, not policy. | | | | health as either an anchor or a rudder to an |
| So what would it take to evolve the healthcare | | | | improved healthcare system, the emphasis on |
| system? In order to lower costs, improve results, | | | | change shifts from the policy makers to the |
| reduce litigation and reduce our dependency on | | | | society at large. There are many challenges to |
| pharmaceuticals and major surgical procedures we | | | | this new paradigm which I will save for future |
| must turn to evolutionary theory and a quote by | | | | elaboration, but consider this a broad introduction |
| none other than the great Albert Einstein himself | | | | to where we must go if we truly wish to change |
| who said, "in order to find solutions to a problem | | | | the healthcare system. |
| we must look beyond the consciousness that | | | | *Below I offer a twist on the evolutionary stages |
| created it in the first place." We must evolve the | | | | of interior consciousness used by Andrew Cohen, |
| way we relate to our health as individuals in order | | | | Ken Wilber and others as they relate to the |
| to create a lasting change on the system itself. All | | | | patients we see. There are many more stages |
| other "solutions" are simply short term policies | | | | than these, but this is a section of the system |
| acting as band?aids on a hemorrhage. | | | | we can all relate to starting from least conscious |
| The paradigm shift I am talking about requires a | | | | at the bottom to most conscious at the top. As |
| shift of responsibility from the policy makers to | | | | an acupuncturist, the majority of patients I see |
| the patients and medical practitioners themselves. | | | | need to make the leap from what I am calling |
| Obviously much of the blame regarding our | | | | Worldcentric Aware to Worldcentric Care. This is |
| current situation must go to the insurance carriers | | | | of course a broad generalization and should be |
| which have a business mentality first and health | | | | recognized as such. For more detail on this theory |
| mentality a distant second, but the purpose of | | | | please refer to the systems of Spiral Dynamics |
| this article is to locate responsibility as it relates to | | | | or 4 Quadrant Theory, currently expanded upon |
| patient and practitioner. | | | | by Dr. Don Beck and Ken Wilber respectively. |
| Practitioners and medical facilities of evolutionary | | | | Kosmocentric -- A healthy life includes becoming |
| healthcare and the facilities they practice in must | | | | ever more conscious as spiritual health is a higher |
| be more interested in the physical health, | | | | expression than emotional and physical health. This |
| emotional stability and integrity of the patient than | | | | increased awareness will manifest as an openness |
| their own bottom line. This point, often articulated | | | | to see parts of the self that were previously |
| by author and respected acupuncturist Lonny | | | | unconscious to the individual, because of an |
| Jarrett, cannot be understated. The motivation of | | | | interest in transcendence. Individuals at this level |
| the practitioner will influence everything from | | | | see their improving health as an obvious necessity |
| treatment strategy and bedside manner to office | | | | to maintaining the human body as the vessel for |
| staff and business strategy. On a practical level, | | | | consciousness to evolve. |
| practitioners and medical facilities must have a | | | | Worldcentric Care -- Individuals believe our health |
| focus on educating their patients on many | | | | is part of a burden on the healthcare system |
| aspects of health such as nutrition, exercise and | | | | itself and as such on the planet that supports us. |
| relationship to stress, and must also take the | | | | These patients have an active health regimen and |
| responsibility of holding a patient to the values | | | | are conscious of nutrition subtleties. Utilizing the |
| they profess to believe in. Values such as | | | | best in traditional, holistic and modern medicine, |
| commitment, development and change are easy | | | | these patients are able to make more responsible |
| to speak about, but harder to live up to. From a | | | | choices based on knowledge, care and integrity. |
| true holistic perspective though, one's integrity is | | | | Worldcentric Aware -- Health is important for the |
| based on their willingness to live up to the highest | | | | individual and as such preventative care is valued. |
| values they have seen to be true. As | | | | Patients often utilize an array of practitioners |
| practitioners we must have the courage to point | | | | from worldly traditions such as acupuncturists, |
| out inertia, victimization and resistance to change | | | | chiropractors, massage therapists and nutritionists. |
| in our patients, within the areas of health the | | | | These patients often distrust the unmindful or |
| patient has stated they wish to improve. The | | | | unnecessary aspects of modern medicine without |
| practitioner must constantly strive for their own | | | | acknowledging the positive. Often choices are |
| development, for the practitioner can only state | | | | made out of pride, self?righteousness and |
| what is true with depth and weight from the level | | | | intellectual knowledge, and the emphasis is on |
| of their own experience. To put this in terms of | | | | feeling better rather than Being better. |
| Evolutionary Philosophy, the practitioner puts | | | | Nationcentric -- Patients believe all answers to |
| highest priority on a patient becoming 51 percent | | | | health lie in the latest medications, surgeries, |
| more interested in taking responsibility for their | | | | research and articles that are published. Weight is |
| own health rather than being taken care of; there | | | | given to those studies performed in their country |
| will be a shift in relationship. This shift may not be | | | | of origin. Any information coming from other |
| a popular position with many of our patients, and | | | | countries is valid only upon reproduction. |
| we may lose those not interested in taking | | | | Mythocentric -- Belief that no amount of medical |
| responsibility to other less diligent practitioners, but | | | | attention is sufficient without prayer and blessings |
| as noted by evolutionary thinkers Andrew Cohen | | | | bestowed upon the doctor, medicine, etc. It is |
| and Ken Wilber, "Evolution is itself a very messy | | | | with God's hand that healing will occur. This stage |
| business." Imagine what would happen though, if | | | | also relates to many new age healings such as |
| every patient that was lost because they did not | | | | crystals or energetic healing when applied without |
| want to hear that changing their diet was | | | | a deep foundation of practice or out of context |
| essential to moving forward went to a | | | | to the condition being treated. |
| practitioner that stressed the exact same thing! | | | | Egocentric -- Patient wants relief of symptoms at |
| There would be nobody to let the patient off the | | | | all cost without interest in considering any |
| hook. | | | | behavior which may have produced those |
| Patients of evolutionary healthcare must be willing | | | | symptoms or any repercussions the treatment |
| to see their health through an ever enlarging | | | | may create. |
| perspective and must be interested in expanding | | | | |