More Reflections on Recent Events, Zen and the Art of Tim Management

I have been reflecting on how I might be able to apply the learning from the recent health improvement events that I have attended (see my last blog post).

Most obviously it has been useful for me to discuss ideas about how the UK health and social care system could be reformed.  This has been useful, mostly by reassuring me that others share similar views.  This is important for me as I am keen for the ideas and findings that emerge from my PhD to help influence real change and not to just be an acceptable academic viewpoint.  The later part of this post will give you an indication of my views about how our health system could be better. 

The contacts that I have met at recent events will be helpful for influencing change.  I am aware that even once I have gained a PhD, extent that I can influence alone will be minimal.  Given this, it is essential for me to continue to develop contacts with others with similar views to me on health / social care reform.  It will only be by working with others that I will be able to achieve significant change.

It occurred to me that the facilitation approaches of the Health and Social Care Integration Pit Stop 
and The Coalition for Collaborative Care partners meeting both included facilitation styles that are similar to those used for Action Research.  This will be a useful reference point as reflecting on the effectiveness of the approaches of the facilitators of these events may be very useful in informing the consultations that I carry out in my PhD.  It also occured to me that there was a philosophical link between co-production and Action Research.  Both are very much a collective approach to determining what should be. 

I have also reflected on a discussion with someone from Macmillan Cancer Support, at the Co4CC partners meeting.  Broadly speaking it appears that people with cancer fall into three categories.

1. People who have recently been diagnosed and are going through treatment or are about to 
2. People who completed initial treatments and are currently managing their health
3. People who are heading towards the end of their cancer journey where there is little chance of recovery 

From this conversation it appeared clear that a - the majority of people living with cancer are in this middle category and b- this is where the greatest cost savings would be.  Primarily these cost savings would be achieved by helping people in this middle category stay healthier for longer.  I have reflected on this discussion from a very personal perspective.  As I am someone in this middle category (I was diagnosed with non Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2000).  Perhaps I could help save the NHS money in the long term by getting better at managing my health now.  Given this perhaps I should focus my PhD on cost savings in the delivery of services for people with lymphoma,  as it appears that the greatest cost savings are likely to emerge from people like me getting better at managing their health. 

The next part of my thinking what else could I do to manage my health, what support would I find useful to help me do this more effectively?  Thoughts on self management take me back to reflections on reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance .  This books takes the metaphor of looking after a motorcycle to suggest the approach that we should take in looking after ourselves.  Rather than simply waiting for things to go wrong he becomes attuned to listening to signs that something is going wrong.  Clinks, and clunks all suggest that some fine tuning may be needed to get the motorcycle running smoothly.  Responding to these signs as soon as possible is of course the most effective way of ensuring a long life for the cycle and of avoiding breakdowns.

I am aware that I have much to learn about how to listen to the signs that something might be wrong in myself.  Like most people I am equally inept at knowing how to respond to signs when I do spot them.  This morning I awoke feeling distinctly feverish and unwell.  I occurred to me that these kinds of symptoms could be my body's way of telling me that something isn't quite right.  I am also aware that 'night sweats' can be a sign that my cancer could be recurring.  If I was really concerned I could arrange a check up with an oncologist.  It is however more likely that this is nothing to worry about and no need to bother an oncologist or even a GP on this occasion.  I am however mindful of the lessons from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.  Some fine tuning may be needed.  I am however in need of further training in how to get my body running smoothly again.   

Reflecting back to conversations about apps and monitoring devices at the Digital Catapult pit stop event I am thinking about what apps and devices I would find useful to help me stay healthy for longer.  I would like some form of biosensing wearable device or app that would help me monitor signs and symptoms in my body to give me an indication of when some fine tuning may be needed.  To accompany this I would also like some training to help teach me how to respond more effectively to the information that this device / or devices give me.  I would also like some training and guidance to help me to interpret the information that I see to know when I might need to re-visit a health professional and to engage in a more informed discussion when I do.  I would also like to make links with other patients who are also trying to manage their health.

If you are a tech developer working on a relevant device, or if you know of one that already exists do please contact me.  I would also love to hear from any experts in 'motorcycle maintenance' out there.

I should also perhaps add in relation to the comments mentioned earlier.  As far as I am aware I am currently in good health.  Their is no sign of the lymphoma coming back.  I just want to get better at making sure that it stays that way.  My aim in doing this is also to help others to do the same, and to help create cost savings in this area of the health system through this form of collective self management.