I know we don’t like to deal in absolutes in the 21st century, but I’m going to throw one at you nonetheless: I am a big fan of tailored medical treatments; I think you should be, too. If there is one aspect of life in which the one-size-fits-all mentality does not hold true, it is medical care.
One-size-fits-all has been my experience for more than 50 years. From my earliest experiences visiting the family doctor as a kid, medical appointments have followed the same script time after time. I now live with a debilitating chronic condition from which I could have fully recovered had it been diagnosed in time. Yet the one-size-fits-all approach left me undiagnosed for six years.
No Two People Are the Same
This post is not about me or my medical experiences. It shouldn’t be. Why? Because no two people are the same. We all know that. We all know that our fingerprints are unique. We are familiar with the fact that retinas scans prove that our eyes are as unique as our fingers.
We readily accept the fact that each individual human is a separate and unique person. So why do we also accept one-size-fits-all medicine? If we are all different down to our fingerprints and retinas, it is reasonable that we would all differ in terms of healthcare needs and treatment responses.
My doctor and I might commiserate and conclude that a combination of physical therapy and injection treatments are the best solution for arthritis pain. Meanwhile, you and your doctor might determine that the best approach for you is plant-based medicine. What works for me, works for me. The same goes for whatever works for you.
Tailored Treatments Are Individualized
The beauty of tailored medical treatments is that they are individualized. Consider KindlyMD in Utah. They work with patients dealing with a variety of chronic physical and mental health conditions by offering Utah Med Card evaluations, psychotherapy, and medication management services.
All their treatments are tailored to the individual patient. If you were to be treated by KindlyMD, you would first be evaluated by trained clinicians who believe in the holistic approach to medicine. They would then consult together to come up with an individualized treatment plan unique to you. That plan would account for your condition, your current health, your medical history, and your needs and preferences in terms of treatments.
Coming up with a tailored treatment plan would be just the start. Once the plan was implemented, they would follow up with you on subsequent visits. They would adjust and modify the plan as necessary, based on how you respond and what your ultimate goals are.
Not Just a Prescription
So, what would a person normally get in the absence of a tailored treatment plan? More often than not, treatment amounts to little more than a prescription. Doctors write prescriptions and send patients on their way. Occasionally, a patient might get a referral to see a specialist or for something like physical therapy.
Prescription medications, physical therapy, and visits with specialists are not bad in and of themselves. They all contribute to a robust medical system that helps a lot of people. But all of them are naturally limited by the one-size-fits-all approach.
One-size-fits-all treats every patient as being identical. Yet it makes no sense. We are all different in so many ways that it’s impossible to quantify. Why would we expect medical care to be identical for all of us? It shouldn’t be, which is why I’m a big fan of tailored medical plans. How about you?
