This COVID-19 pandemic brought misery, loss to many. Some lost work, their source of income while others lost a loved one. Both are devastating and causes grief. While grief is a normal response to a lost, grieving is specially difficult this pandemic. When a love one dies for example, the isolation and social distancing prevents us from mourning with others. Mourning with others facilitates the process of grieving. Going through the usual routine process of grieving is difficult or disrupted and recovery from grief is made even more difficult and or prolonged.
My grief stealthily started as a mountain of unfinished work and bad decisions. The constant fear of contracting COVID hovers as we battle on the frontlines. Stress and burnout mounted, albeit I was pretty sure I still can thrive. Then someone left and my mom died after a prolonged battle with diabetes. Grief slip into depression. I didn’t have any idea how I to unstuck myself from prolonged grief. Luckily, some people reached out and I am so grateful I survived and is now healing. Or at least I think I am.
This is the topic of our #HealthXPh tweet chat this Saturday December 11, 2021 9PM Manila time.
T1. What are the telltale signs of grief, burnout or depression during COVID-19 pandemic?
On hindsight, the first step to recovery from grief and later, depression, is accepting the fact that you are grieving. I have several grieving episodes in my life before, but grief during pandemics was especially difficult. The presentation was different and was even “facilitated” by isolation and social distancing. Social communication of grief is also quite awkward and is more difficult than face to face communication. This I observed in not a few close friends colleagues who are grieving too. Thus being “aware” that you are grieving this pandemic is a bit difficult or different.
T2. How would you navigate grief during this pandemic?
After accepting I was grieving, I started to reach out for help. I talked to friends, mentors, family and people that I trust and care for. Social media communication was very helpful. An escape from a toxic environment also helped me clear out confusion.
T3. What recovery tips can you offer to grieving persons?
Accept it and ask for help. A differing, positive perspective or revelations really helped a lot for me. Self love is ok, but giving care is even more healing. It also helps to express grief to others who are undergoing through the same process of healing. I also started to go back to activities I loved and enjoyed before.
After going through the process of grieving and healing, I realized grieving in this pandemic is almost always a constant. What makes it bearable is that it probably is be a a new normal grieving process for a longer time than expected. Then accepting it as it happens and how we cope with it might be really different from what we knew before.
Many people wished they could just stay home to avoid getting COVID 19. Even the variable successes of the community quarantine convinced us of the benefits of personal hygiene, social distancing and staying at home. Prolonged social distancing however is increasingly difficult, given that many essential human actions required “physical” socializing. The benefits of socializing has been recognized in literature, be it in health, or the survival and propagation of the human specie in general.
T1. Do you agree with easing out the community quarantine in your respective geographic locations? Explain.
Loud protestations from the medical community did not stop the government from easing out community quarantine, even if we had a vague idea of what the “new normal” is. The “new normal” has been the subject of many discussions, including previous COVID #HealthXPh chats. None of these “new normal” descriptions were definitive and will evolve.
T2. Is there a benefit to “socializing” in the new normal? Please explain.
An interesting observation about the new normal is the acceptance of the different degrees of socializing. Socializing was never a binary choice for many of us to begin with. It wasn’t a “I socialize or I don’t” choice. We all socialize in different degrees.
Our path to accepting this begun with another less striking, but equally important adaptation- the human specie has this propensity for “risk assessment and harm reduction”. This pandemic highlighted these both and will probably be an integral part of socializing in the new normal.
T3. Give a specific personal example of “risk assessment strategy” you employ before socializing in this new normal.
T4. Give a specific example of socializing – personal or work related in the new normal.
Castells broadly defined digital divide as “the inequality of access to the internet”. Scholman defined digital divide as “the gulf between those who have ready access to current digital technology and those who do not”. This definition included the consequential “social or educational inequality” that comes with this gap.
An approximate measure of determining the extent of “digital divide” in a country is the NRI ranking.
“The NRI is part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report 2015: ICTs for Inclusive Growth. The NRI identifies the capacity of countries to leverage Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), by assessing the overall political and business environment, the level of ICT readiness and usage among the population, businesses and government, as well as the overall impacts of ICTs on the economy and society at large.”
The Philippines ranked 77th, in the most recent, 2016 Global Information Technology Report by World Economic Forum. That’s a notch down from our previous 76th ranking. Detailed results and subcategory analysis of this NRI ranking can be found in this site. We scored worst in infrastructure but other indices are no better. This, despite the country being tagged as the sms and social media capital of the world. Around 87% of our adult population spends average of six hours on the internet per day. Our internet and mobile population penetration is increasing also. So while, infrastructure (physical access, internet speed and portals) seem to be the biggest obstacle up front, it cannot account for the digital divide occurring in sectors where physical access is not the biggest concern.
Health implications:
While the greater portion of our general population is consequently denied physical access to internet because of poor hardware and network infrastructure, this is may not be true for the healthcare industry’s professionals such as doctors or nurses. Many healthcare professionals already have material and physical access to the internet. The recent Digital Asia report also showed many patients are are going to the internet for information regarding their health issues. Health information is increasingly made available over the internet . Healthcare professionals need more and more sophisticated skills to use electronic resources in improving healthcare services. This, despite the rising cost of accessing copyrighted, medical journals. This complicates the issue and resolution of digital divide. It places tension on patient- doctor relationships or collegial collaborations when either of the party belong to the opposing fences in this digital divide.
T1. Is there a digital divide within the healthcare sector? Please elaborate on your answer.
Scholman further subdivided digital divide in to mini gaps namely technological, content, gender and commercial divide. These mini gaps form many of the basis for surveys of the occurrence of digital divide among population. While this gives us an idea of how we fare in terms of our digital literacy with that of other countries, it does not account many other factors that contribute to digital divide other than infrastructure or physical access, like in healthcare.
Scholman’s mini digital divides are often good when identifying or characterising gaps. I find Jan van Djik’s relational views of digital divide relevant when looking for strategic solutions. Jan van Djik’s proposes a relational framework for understanding digital divide and coined a cumulative, recursive model and successive kinds of access to digital technologies. (See figure 1) .
Source: van Dijk (2005, p. 22) Figure 1: A Cumulative and Recursive Model of Successive Kinds of Access to Digital Technologies
When a sector of society went pass the motivational and material access problem, they are still faced with another level of obstacle to hurdle the “digital divide” -namely skills and then usage access.
T2. What’s most salient reason or contributor to this digital divide in the healthcare industry?
In my opinion, this is what the health sector (the academe to be specific) should deal with to narrow that gap or digital divide in healthcare.
T3. What do you think is the best solution to this type of digital gap in the health sector?
This is the main topic for our discussion this Saturday July 7, 2018 9:00PM Manila time. Here are our guide questions:
In your experience as a healthcare professional:
T1. Is there a digital divide within the healthcare sector? Please elaborate on your answer.
T2. What’s most salient reason to this digital divide in the healthcare sector?
T3. What do you think is the best solution to this type of digital gap in the health sector?
Closing Thoughts:
Digital literacy and digital scholarship has been put forward by many strategist as a way to narrow this gap in medicine. As a healthcare professional, what do you think could be your biggest contribution to advocating or promoting digital literacy or scholarship in the field of medicine?
References:
Castells, Manuel 2001 The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society. New York: Oxford Univesity Press.
Schloman, B. (May 7, 2004). Information Resources Column: “The Digital Divide: How Wide and How Deep?” Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Available: http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/Columns/InformationResources/TheDigitalDivideHowWideandHowDeep.html
van Dijk, J. A. (2005). A framework for understanding the digital divide. In The deepening divide: Inequality in the information society (pp. 9-26). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781452229812.n2
World Economic Forum (2016). Global Information Technology Report 2016. Retrieved from http://reports.weforum.org/global-information-technology-report-2015/economies/#economy=PHL
Department of information and communications Technology (June 6, 2016).Department of ICT Law takes effect today. Retrieved from http://dict.gov.ph/department-of-ict-law-takes-effect-today/
“Did you know that Benjamin Franklin was a comedy writer (wrote the famed Poor Richards Almanac) before he discovered electricity and became one of the founding fathers of the United States of America?”
“Not until now that you said it to me. He was?! Interesting!..”
Two hour laters, I bade my travel friend goodbye, pick my 30 liter backpack and I got off the back of a pick up truck. “Thank you” I said to the driver.
“I am tito, vagabound”
Dusting off an inch thick of dust off my cargo shorts and shirt, I am now standing in front of wooden house- a port just on the edge of the Amazon River Basin. One local sitting on a bench on the side of entrance stood up and headed my way. Long grey hair with a cowboy hat and puffing cigarette, he waived at me to come near him. He was limping, a bit. “You Tito?” He asked. “Yes, I am”. I replied. Then I saw that stoic grin in his face. “I’m Ricardo” There’s a scar an inch long just below his right cheek. “You really a travel writer photographer?” He quipped .
Travel photographer on a motorcycle…I wish.
I said “Yeah, sort of. I wash dishes too, do a bit of carpentry, tend a garden, till the soil, plant maize corn and sometimes do stand up comedy. I could even stitch up wounds over extremities. “ I volunteered.
“Really?” He said. And take photos too of me? with that small camera?” I said yes. “I want many pictures of me”. Said the grinning Ricardo. Not Ricardo.
Ricardo is a Tupian local and will be my foster brother in my months long stay in the Amazonia. I will work part time (2-3 days, 4 hour daily work/week) in his local refreshment canteen. He will help arrange trips for me to some of the lesser known tribes in the Amazon rainforest.
“You came from a very far country-Philippines eh?” he said, the wrinkles in his forehead seemingly squeezing a better answer from me. “Yeah!” I answered. “Why would you leave that place? Why go here?!”
“I’m not leaving my place. I’m just here to really really explore what the world is outside of my comfort zone” I replied.
He has this puzzled look at me but smiled suddenly. “Crazy Gringo you are eh?”
“I am. I am. Maybe.”
Travel, shoot, work part time and live close to people, culture and nature I haven’t seen my entire life. Yes, this is the Ameridian leg of my vagabounding.
Well, that was before I got admitted to college. An alternate verse I so feared of going, I would have tried this right after high school. See Iceland’s Aurora Borealis, climb Kilimanjaro, hike the Appalachian, photograph sunsets in the Sahara. Write a life hack book in the mountains of Tibet, motorcycle across China, all in search for awesomeness this world has to offer and what can I create to offer mine.
That I realized after going through med school shit scared and got lucky. Again, only after. Funny how one discovers alterverses only after you thread one path and learn life skills. When you’re done with one path, you discover that most of the patterns and frameworks you’ve acquired are familiar and replicable in other possible multiverses for you. You only have to be human and cultivate the childlike fascination to creativity, mindfulness and simple living. Hence,
Live simply
Stay Healthy,
Adventure often
Hike farther
That is my long mantra for living. And it is exactly replicable in all possible multiverses for me. Why would design my way of life to be that way? The simple truth is that I never lost hope that those alterverses will be in my life now or in the near future. Maybe. Just note the breadcrumbs in my life’s works. Looked familiar?
“Will you take a look at mamita’s son leg? There’s a wound there that wont heal since 4 years ago”. Ricardo asked me. “Yes of course!” I replied.
Ah, I am a physician, a travel and landscape photographer, blogger, hiker and serve humanity. All in one verse. Absolutely liveable.
(Note: The story here is fictional, but what I do is not.)
Three things about the previous editions (1.0/2.0) of Blog Rounds:
It was fun!
I met interesting, creative people there. Take a look at this bloggers list!!
The no holds barred, long form blogging is sooo cool!
I still have the archive list of the weekly blog rounds, but some of the links are not active anymore. 🙁
But, just this month, TBR alumni wanted to resurrect the weekly blog rounds. Looks like I’m not the only one who missed the weekly blog challenge.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Blog Rounds 3.0- Physician Creatives ?
This is a weekly * online, grand rounds of blogs authored by Filipino* physicians. There was 2.0 and 3.0 version of TBR in the past, basically with the same format of weekly blogging rounds.
What topic(s) does Blog Rounds 3.0- Physician Creatives write about?
Physician bloggers write weekly about a healthcare related , creative aspect (content) of being a physician. This is usually based on a theme decided by the designated host each week*
Who may join the blog rounds?
If you are a Filipino* physician and have a blog * you may join the weekly rounds and be a host* blogger too.
What do I need to do to join the blog rounds?
First, write an introductory post on your blog indicating why you’re interested in joining. Second, join this Facebook group and place your web and introductory post link there. Third, choose your hosting schedule in the scheduling calendar here*. The rest of the guides are given as we grow in this fun writing activity.
Who are the “host blogger” and what does he/she do?
Host blogger is a designated weekly “moderator” of the online blog rounds. He/she has the privilege of choosing the topic for that week. Host bloggers are listed on schedule announced each week via the group page. Once the topic is chosen, the host blogger post the “call for articles/blog post” on her blog (and the link on the group page) by Sunday evening (11:59 PM) Manila Time. T he host gathers / reads/distills/synthesizes all the participating posts by friday evening at 11:59PM same week. He or she then writes the grand rounds synthesis in a blog and post it before Sunday morning. The host blogger has the sole authority and responsibility of choosing the topic, announcing it, receiving the post contributions, distilling it, and posting his/her synopsis of each post as he/she deemed fit for his/her topic of choice.
Who are the “participant bloggers” and what does he/she do?
Participating bloggers writes about the topic for the week, post it in his/her blog and the link to host bloggers call for articles comment portion* He/she takes note of the deadlines- both for the call and submission. Writes one blog post entry per rounds. Recent posts between 500 and 1000 words are preferred Posts are to be written for a general audience and may be medical or non medical, depending on the category or topic chosen by the host blogger. Participating bloggers are encouraged to comment on each others blog posts.
Key points: Keep your topics and post interesting for everyone. Be consistent. Participate each week. Comment. Share posts.
Lastly:
If you got questions, or if you want to host TBR, comment below! TBR 3.0 is continually looking for hosts blogger!
