I consider myself a problem solver, one that really struggles to understand the true nature of a problem and thinks creatively to solve it.  Creative thinking sometimes comes from approaching a problem in unconventional ways.  If you follow the same line of thinking of others that have failed, you will likely fail also.  So if you're solving a problem that many have failed, you'd better darn well be thinking outside of the box!

This is the danger of groupthink, a bunch of people all reinforcing previous errors in judgement.

• "The world is flat."
  
• "If men were meant to fly they'd have wings."
• "Medicinal leeches and blood-letting are healthful."

One huge problem is indoctrination.  Indoctination is a method of education where essentially one method of thought is taught to students and any dissent is squashed.  Essentially what this produces is a bunch of people that think the same way and act the same way.  They have the same successes and make the same mistakes.  This is essentially learned or induced groupthink.  Decisions are made by those in power, not the ones "on the ground."

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN is one of the most prestigious Medical Facilities in the world.  The doctors at Mayo are legendary in their ability to find new cures for diseases.  They are outstanding in many regards.  I've met a few and I was taught by a few.  They are very impressive individually and together they are quite awe-inspiring.

So what makes Mayo so special?  What makes it achieve such a high level of noteriety and success?  They have a mandate that allows them to think unconventionally.  They are allowed to experiment, try new things and as such, they achieve successes that doctors locked in rigid Medical Doctrine are unable to perform.  By thinking unconventionally they are allowed to sidestep the pitfalls that their heavily indoctrinated brethren fall victim to.  They're not perfect, but they are closer to the solution for Medicine than most.  What if every clinic and hospital had their kind of latitude?

If we are seeking to improve healthcare, Medical Doctors must be allowed more lateral sway to make decisions. They must be allowed to make Natural Choices when necessary. They mustn't be told what to prescribe by their patients. Their authority must not be diminished by 30 sec drug commercials. Their clinical education must be flexible and not so rigidly indoctrinating.

They have a very important place in American Healthcare, but their ability to perform adequately has been greatly diminished by corporate and institutional interests.  These are some of the best and brightest the world has to offer and when they are all forced to think and act the same exact  way, we ALL suffer.  We all suffer from their ability to use their ingenuity and creativity to solve problems for us. Groupthink is the enemy of innovation and we need all our smart people thinking for themselves!

Enough about Medicine, let's talk about Alternative Medicine and Integrative Medicine.

There is an urgent need for this form of care right now also.  In many ways it is a more personal type of care.  It accomplishes goals that Medicine hasn't focused on.  It focuses on optimize a person's mind and body using alternative methods.  It suffers almost the exact opposite problem.  While it's treatments are viable in many regards that viability hasn't adequately been quantified, categorized, and made easily referenced for the average person.  Many patients would access these services if only they knew what potential benefit they offer.

I've been working to solve is what Complimentary and Alternative Medicine components seem to work together the best clinically.  From this basic framework the beginnings of an Alternative Medicine System could be developed.  This is where I believe the beginnings of Alternative Primary Care will come and have come.

As a country, we are quickly coming to a Medical Doctor shortage.  By 2010, the United States will have an estimated shortfall of  of nearly 50,000 physicians.  By 2020, that shortage is estimated to be around 200,00 doctors!  So who will fill this enormous vacuum in healthcare?  Complimentary and Alternative Medicine that's who has been doing it and will continue to do so in larger numbers.

By the establishment of a national model for a Alternative and Integrative Clinics we can fill this void with healthcare providers that will meet some of the basic requirements of Primary Care and refer out if it goes beyond that. Think I'm proposing something new? This is already occuring.

Increasing numbers of patients are using Self-care and Alternative Providers in a Primary Care role.  As they should be.  The non-invasive and relatively benign procedures performed by Alternative Practitioners can effectively manage many different kinds of conditions.  They also can be applied with much less risk of iatrogenic (doctor-caused) injury.

To increase Mainstream Appeal the efforts in Alternative Medicine should be focused on "cleaning up" procedures and protocols, organizing supporting research (much exists already), and really establishing what goals of treatment are. 

Because much of Alternative Medicine is "Wellness-centric" and not simply symptom management like Medicine.  As such, care goals DO NOT have to be number-related.  A goal of:  "Patient feeling more relaxed" isn't a number, but it's still an admirable goal and a measurable goal.  A patient feeling better can correspond to physiologically measurable changes.  That isn't to say measuring those changes is indicative of a patient feeling better, it can be a one-way street.

Sure you can measure heart rate and blood pressure, but those only hint at relaxation.  If the person feels better, and is generally healthier, mission accomplished as far as CAM goes.  Science needs to accept that feeling better is a adequate goal for patients.  Patient satisfaction with service is more important that a clinically-defined physiologic measurements.

So, Alternative Medicine needs to be perceived as "cleaner," more systematic, and more viable.  Less philosophic and more validated.  Medicine needs to be less "scientific" and become slightly more fluid.  The speed of new information coming out is quickly leaving hospitals and clinics behind because of their slow, rigid way of conducting patient care.

The future is a very exciting time for healthcare.  My hope is to help facilitate some of this necessary and healthy change in our nation's ailing healthcare system.  Wish me luck.  ;)