3 ms·

I've sure you've already considered this, but wouldn't any kind of training program of the sort you describe risk diverting resources from current operations?

by Kalium 7y ago

ALittleLight 7y ago
It's possible. That's something that would have to be weighed against how bad we expect shortages to be and how much we expect amateur ventilator-operators to help. Given that we likely have more spare doctor cycles now than we will in the future, we should utilize them now. We can also do things like hire doctors from countries not as badly stressed to come teach the classes.
- marnett 7y ago
  There are clearly a lot of contrarians in this thread, perhaps that is because the premise of a flooded healthcare system is still too impossible for some to envision. And of course there are many levels to addressing bottlenecks. For example, operators wouldn’t have to be amateurs at first, they could be any of the non-essential medical professionals who are not able operate business as usual due to the virus. Could a podiatrist or urologist operate a ventilator given enough training? In general we are brainstorming proactive measures. I think, at least in the US, we continue to have a reactive as opposed to a proactive strategy because of our decentralized government structure as well as the delicate balance between effective mitigation and maintaining social order. While we should be leveraging the current shelter in place strategy to build as much healthcare infrastructure as possible (both physical and technical, as per the thread) to handle slowly returning society to normal operations, we probably are not moving fast enough. In several weeks, as the unemployment and anxiety builds, so too will unrest. And I guess then it will really be a test of a nation’s people.

3 ms·

I've sure you've already considered this, but wouldn't any kind of training program of the sort you describe risk diverting resources from current operations?

by Kalium 7y ago

I've sure you've already considered this, but wouldn't any kind of training program of the sort you describe risk diverting resources from current operations?

ALittleLight 7y ago
It's possible. That's something that would have to be weighed against how bad we expect shortages to be and how much we expect amateur ventilator-operators to help. Given that we likely have more spare doctor cycles now than we will in the future, we should utilize them now. We can also do things like hire doctors from countries not as badly stressed to come teach the classes.
- marnett 7y ago
  There are clearly a lot of contrarians in this thread, perhaps that is because the premise of a flooded healthcare system is still too impossible for some to envision. And of course there are many levels to addressing bottlenecks. For example, operators wouldn’t have to be amateurs at first, they could be any of the non-essential medical professionals who are not able operate business as usual due to the virus. Could a podiatrist or urologist operate a ventilator given enough training? In general we are brainstorming proactive measures. I think, at least in the US, we continue to have a reactive as opposed to a proactive strategy because of our decentralized government structure as well as the delicate balance between effective mitigation and maintaining social order. While we should be leveraging the current shelter in place strategy to build as much healthcare infrastructure as possible (both physical and technical, as per the thread) to handle slowly returning society to normal operations, we probably are not moving fast enough. In several weeks, as the unemployment and anxiety builds, so too will unrest. And I guess then it will really be a test of a nation’s people.