Ted Talks
How to help your doctor provide better care Upstreamists like me — and we can be doctors, nurses or other clinicians — know that asthma can start in the air around us. We know that ailments such as depression, anxiety and high blood pressure can arise from chronically stressful conditions at work and home. We see how policies that deny opportunity, fairness and justice can be reflected in patients’ faces as well as in their DNA. And, just as important, we understand how to translate this knowledge into action. The upstreamist considers it her professional duty not only to prescribe a chemical remedy but also to tackle sickness at its source. There aren’t nearly enough of these pioneers working in health care today, but our ranks are slowly growing. Want more information about the everyday facts that contribute to patient health? Watch my TED Talk (What makes us get sick? Look upstream). Interested in improving your own upstreamist health care? Below, six simple ways to start.