(Originally published on
www.hospitalimpact.org)
Every time I turn on the television, go to a book store or see a movie advertisement I see "ZOMBIES." Zombies are everywhere. (Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention got into the action with its
Zombie attack preparedness manual.)
Now I love zombie movies as much as anyone. In fact, "Shaun of the Dead" is one of my favorites, truly illustrating an existentialist view of life where people operate on autopilot.
After my most recent visit to the bookstore and the most recent zombie reminder, I got to thinking about people operating on autopilot. I have heard on many occasions from physicians and nurses alike that the traditional medical model--with the clinical guideline adherence; the relative value unit generation requirement; the constant goal of "fill in the box on the EMR," determine diagnosis, prescribe and get to the next patient as quickly as possible--contributes to the feeling of "practicing on autopilot" with little connection to self and/or patient (a zombie-like trance).
READ MORE