In education, so much talks are on transforming teachers’ role (from knowledge player [as in multimedia player] to learning coach or from knowledge repeater to knowledge tour guide) to stimulate and lay down the foundation for life long learning (to solve life’s everyday issues), to develop life skills, and to guide towards the ascent of oneself and society. Several issues have emerged in exploring this path for education. There are issues in all groups of stake holders: the learners, the supporters (family), the teachers, the policy makers and sponsors. There are issues in co-ordination and consolidation of views and directions, activities and reviews (assessments), and allocations (distribution) of resources. To advance (quality of) education and society, these difficulties will have to be resolved and (better) ways forward established (as best practices).
What about in public health? We have doctors and nurses playing the role of repairers (but with continually updated/upgraded methodologies. We have a small support units of doctors and nurses as health guides. In much the same model as in public administration, fishing management, water management, and so on.
Can we transform the roles of doctors and nurses into that of health coach or health guide?
Vast amount of health information is available on the Internet and other media. Search engines and AIs can be used for most common complaints. Many wearable, home devices are already validated for use in assessment of health conditions. More accurate and timely information in various forms including reviews (comments) is also available. Patients should be learners and learn life long health with doctors and nurses as coaches.
Public campaigns such as how to save a life in various health situations have saved lives. People can learn how to resuscitate a non-breathing person, how to stop bleeding, how to stabilize injuries,… People can learn to look after themselves and other people and make the society better. After all Health is Education.
Should we now transform doctors and nurses into coaches?
