Despite the fascination of the society with high end gadgets, and the excitement the use of technology in diagnoses had generated in us, I still firmly hold to the conservative belief that Medicare would remain the only territory that might defy ‘apps’ and ‘softwares’.. Technology can neither match the Physician’s inquisitive mind, hyperactive eyes and sensative acoustics, trained in both the pure and applied sciences, the art of history taking, patient’s examination and the abstract analysis of both, nor replace his knowledge of psychology, and other social sciences that are all summoned to diagnose and manage each individual patient. Bearing in mind that each patient is unique and requires both individualised attention and application of knowledge
Caregivers in Nigeria however might require certain empathy building techniques and should pay more than a passing àttention to the soul and mind, which as it were houses the ‘Human’ they seek to treat. We so often ignore the mind as Doctors, not because we didn’t know it exists or doubt it’s influence on health and illness, but because we are ignorant of it. Our clients are not all about organs we can only see and touch. Infact, that human part which chose to remain abstract (mind), is not about the only thing that makes us ‘Humans’, but also has overriding jurisdiction over everything that is real in us and beyond.
Even the everyday spirituality that we take for granted in this part of the world is receiving serious attention elsewhere(where it is in decline) as per its role in disease and healing. Most spiritual individuals meditate through prayers and other prescribed rituals. And meditation or it’s application is a validated psychological treatment model in not an insignificant aspect of psychotherapeutics. The mere beleief in a ‘higher’ being expressed in whatever spirituality is a positive predictor of outcomes in most mental afflictions
This view does not in any way intend to diminish the contribution of technology in both diagnosis and therapeutics, but rather emphasises that ‘human’ aspect of Medicine we all love to neglect. Yes technology all the way, but please spare me the good old doctor and his stethoscope, who shall in turn use it to listen to the mind as well!
