An Abundance of Caution Vs. An Unintended Fear Response
Our Role as Osteopathic Physicians To Combat Public Hysteria
My fellow Osteopathic Physicians:
We face a grave challenge in the face of the pandemic of COVID19 but NOT the way you might think. We have all likely heard and read the Centers for Disease Control’s (along with many other large center data analyses) bulletins of information as well as their guide-lines on the novel coronavirus going around the world. We all know by now that the VAST majority of people who contract the illness will recover without any long-term sequelae and that most will likely suffer what amounts to a cold. Yet in a world where social media and the internet run rampant with conspiracies, wrongful and uneducated conclusions and outright falsehoods (read: bull crap); we have a population that is in a near free fall panic.
Despite public service announcements and many attempts for bona fide information to be disseminated, the public keeps hearing “rumors of this and that,” which generate fear and cause needless panic responses (hoarding of gloves, masks and hand sanitizer to name a few). We as a patient’s ultimate and most sacred confidant, MUST take the extra time to allay our patients’ fears and uncertainties. When faced with an onslaught of the wrong information, a patient should feel strong enough in their relationship with us, their physicians, to turn to us when in doubt when it comes to medical issues. We in turn, should really be ready to address our patients, both with a confident understanding of the latest data along with supportive written documents (can be a link to various sources including the CDC or other easy to understand informational bulletins). We need to be truly humanistic and empathetic (Don’t be a robotic parrot!!!) in the ways we deal with our patients. That is, we need to reinforce that the patient knows we care for them and that we aren’t just feeding them a line. With this trust firmly entrenched, we can be that beacon of hope and reassurance that patients truly are looking for in us.
Although I know almost all of you are likely doing this already, I ask you as a favor to me, that you re-examine yourself and ask “Am I doing all that I can for my patient?” (Remember that little oath about doing no harm? Not doing enough in this situation CAN cause harm). Let your own conscience guide you, but know that as President of NOMA, I am confident in our osteopathic spirit to help.
A.T. Still once wrote:
“Of what value is a mind when placed in the brain of a coward? If mind is a gift of God to man for his use, let him use it. A mind is not in use when doing no good.”
Recently, more and more the term “out of an abundance of caution” has been used from the highest levels of government down to schools and churches as a means to explain why events are cancelled, travel is restricted and that one should isolate one’s self.
To us, we already understand this phrase to mean that we are being extra careful in this case to prevent excessive exposure of this virus. We also know that this precaution is NOT because we are dealing with an apocalyptic event or that this is something like a Hollywood horror flick like “Outbreak”. We are simply trying to limit the number of people from spreading this illness (again, for most a cold). The rationale is to prevent exposure to high risk populations like the elderly (especially anyone over 70) and to those with pre-existing health conditions that can be worsened. Also, we would never want to see where nearly our entire population is ill even from a minor illness that it could shut down our entire infrastructure. So, an abundance of caution is an exaggerated notion of being of the utmost care when looking at the big picture.
However, to the layperson inundated with the media falsehoods and paranoia, many have interpreted this phrase to be some kind of secret code that the end is near. We must act as that beacon in the storm for all our patients to set them straight as best we can in spirit of love and care that an Osteopathic Physician should show.
To this end, be prepared, use the links here for the CDC as well as an article that I have been using to educate my patients.
Also remind patients that in Wuhan Province in China (where this started), many have been released from forced quarantine and that the VAST majority have recovered without sequelae (more than 96% based on most sources) and that life is slowly beginning to come back around to normal there.
As President of your Association, I pray you will all be able weather this crisis successfully while helping as many as you can. Please be strong, be safe and know that we here at NOMA are here to help in any way we can.
Sincerely and Humbly Yours,
Bruce Fong, DO
President
