Some thoughts on preparing for the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19

With the alarming spread of COVID-19 on everyone’s minds, it can be easy to feel helpless and dismal about the future. Life’s about accepting what we can’t control, and managing what we can. Here are a few suggestions for you to take action now, and not wait for a pandemic or otherwise to be declared.

1. WASH YOUR HANDS PROPERLY. WITH SOAP.

We’ve had many people asking; “should I wear a mask? Should I avoid certain areas of town?” All the masks in the world would be useless to prevent infection transmission if we didn’t have proper hand washing technique, that anyone can do, as endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

https://www.who.int/gpsc/clean_hands_protection/en/

Sing “Happy Birthday To You” twice while washing. That’s the recommendation. (Aloud, if you wish!)

SOAP is key. And frequently. If you cough. If you sneeze from hay fever. Before and after you eat. 

If no soap, use alcohol-based hand rub. 

This goes for the flu as well. Influenza is not just spread by airway droplets; it is actually spread through contact transmission, ie. hands and other surface contact, just like gastroenteritis. Coronavirus (which is a name for a group of respiratory viruses, hence COVID-19 for the name of this particularly virulent subtype) is also spread in this way, just like the common cold. Hence, HANDWASHING WITH SOAP is important. 

I can’t emphasise it enough. Handwashing saves lives. And it’s annoying when people cough and sneeze without covering their mouths and noses in public (an accident is an accident, but if you’re being a tool, that’s just rude). And in Australia, we’re not at the stage right now where our Government is saying we have to wear masks as a precaution. And even if we were, we’d still say- WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP. 

2. Minimise hand-to-hand transmission

So yes, avoiding handshakes is reasonable. 

3. Pay attention to the latest health updates from your local Government health authority. 

Your Federal or State Government; or the equivalent authority wherever you live, will be able to give you up to date advice in your area; on whether it’s safe to go out; to go to work/school; to attend particular events. Listen to the real news, not fake. 

Speaking of real news; drive-thru coronavirus testing has apparently taken off in Daegu, South Korea. Seems like a great way to reduce exposure risks to the community- and to healthcare workers (and their families), too.

4. Prepare for Online Work/Study/Telehealth

One of the only business models that would actually benefit from COVID-19 is telemedicine. 

The RACGP is calling on the Federal Government to allow a short-term Medicare rebate for Telehealth services to help enable consultations while minimising risk of infection transmission. In the US, where Telehealth is more mature, telemedicine providers are ramping up their capabilities and patients are being warned to expect more consultations online.

It won’t just be healthcare. Schools and universities are already in the midst of online classes for those stranded by travel bans and restrictions. EY and other multinational firms have cancelled some business travel and moved to online conferencing to reduce risks to their employees. We foresee professional development conferences and workshops increasingly being moved online across all industries.

So, if you have a remote working/studying option, prepare early for this, as a snap decision could be made by your Government/institution in a day.  Or if you’re self-employed, now would be a great time to see what services you could move online.

5. Pay attention to your travel insurance.

If you’re planning to travel somewhere, check what your travel insurance’s Product Disclosure Statement covers.

6. Be kind and compassionate

There’s absolutely no excuse for racism. Ever. 

It is NOT the fault of someone’s ethnicity or appearance that this virus has appeared. It’s APPALLING how ignorant people can be, and how widespread rudeness is. 

Health systems and local industries beyond health are already overstretched. By putting your prejudices in front and pointing fingers at people of particular appearance (and we’ve been victims of this!), you’re simply displaying how ignorant you are, and wasting time and energy alienating the very people who are trying to help you, or who are your neighbours in your local communities. 

No one wanted coronavirus to happen. It’ll be easier to get through together without hatred and fear.

Highlights from the Wearable Technologies Australia conference

We had the pleasure of attending the Wearables Technologies Australia conference in Melbourne in 2018. Starting in Germany, this organisation now runs events internationally, bringing the worlds of IoT, wearables, AR, AI, VR and so forth together.

We loved the range of industries showcased, featuring not only healthtech, but also sportstech; design; consumer goods; and fashion tech.

What was the key idea from the event?

Good Design Needs ALL Users To Be Involved

I mean, it’s obvious, right? If you’re going to design a product, you want to make sure everyone’s happy to use it. Especially when an organisation’s potentially spending millions of dollars on its acquisition.

This is a very common failure in startups. Designing a product that you love is a great thing and can be very self-satisfying as part of the creative process!, but if you’re really wanting to sell your product and eventually scale, it needs to suit all your users best. And as many speakers mentioned, users aren’t just your patients! Every doctor, nurse, physio, and other healthcare professional out there knows how frustrating it is dealing with EMRs that are built to suit Excel users rather than intuitively helping you on a ward round.

This was what got The Medical Startup going in the first place; the frustration that healthcare workers aren’t included enough in the design process. And hearing industrial designer Leah Heiss speak about her design process helped us understand; too often, designers aren’t brought into the process until late in the development stage, and funds may be limited to a small part of the budget. Meaning, your engineers may have worked hard for the bulk of the project, but when the design team comes in, due to budget constraints, they have to deal with what they’re presented with, rather than sharing responsibilities with the engineers from the start of the work.

Leah was behind the design of Blamey Saunders’ beautiful hearing aids, inspired by trips to the Melbourne Museum geology collection and jewellery. As a designer, Leah’s job ultimately reflects what doctors are trained to do: interview well. Designers can spend hours taking good interviews from end users, to thoroughly understand what problems they face; what their behaviour is when faced with these problems; and even little things, like the aesthetic beauty of the product, and its ease when tucked into a pocket, whether for male or female users, was a key feature of Leah’s award-winning design.

We also enjoyed learning about headsets monitoring for signs of concussion during rugby matches; smart clothing from Billie Whitehouse; and many more innovations from across the globe.

Juggling Family & Career Is Tough, Even If You're Not A Parent

I read tons of entrepreneurship books, blogs, magazines and other resources, and I get sick of seeing the same theme, over and over again.

That work-life juggle portrayed as only an issue if you’re a mum.

Um, hello???

What about those who are carers?

Who are single but have other dependants?

Who are in long-distance relationships?

Who are the sole breadwinners?

The list goes on.

Just wanting to post this so the “silent carers” out there can also be acknowledged.

You’re doing a Great job.

Doing what you can, realising that no two days are alike.

Trying to fit into a “typical” day situation isn’t fair to you when you’re actually sliding along the continuum of Work and Home Life.

Let’s do this together!

Book Review: "Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less" by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

Many of us in medicine struggle to justify why we should slow down and give ourselves a break.

We’re used to putting others’ needs before our own.

We’re used to unrelenting unrostered overtime; oncall callbacks at 3am; weekend shfits trickling into birthdays and holidays; and working through illness.

If only there was a book that helped us justify to our evidence-based selves WHY we need to rest.

Alex Soojung-Kim Pang does this brilliantly in his easy-to-read manual, “Rest.”

Alex is a Silicon Valley consultant used to seeing that other modern group of trophy chronic overworkers - tech workers.

No longer is “hustling,” “crushing” and “burning it” a badge of honour for your work.

And no longer are you badgering yourself for not “working hard enough”. You probably already are. This book teaches you how to work SMART.

Doctors know well (or should know!) that as physiologic stress hormones, chronic raised adrenaline and cortisol (which are essential hormones that help regulate our daily functions in normal health, not an evil in themselves!), can lead to raised blood pressure; heart disease; higher stroke risk; obesity; cancers; some thyroid disorders; some autoimmune conditions; and other conditions. As part of the body’s natural homeostasis/resetting, we all need sleep; good nutrition; regular exercise; and unregulated downtime- sitting and doing nothing, allowing ourselves to drift to boredom and creativity. (They say having bouts of boredom in our lives actually helps fuel creativity and innovation- hence why people struggle when they try to find a “job they love” that never bores them 24/7- the fact is, those peaks and troughs even in your dream pursuit, help you stay stimulated, curious and engaged with your passion!)

When we set that homeostasis out of whack due to shift work; chronic long hours (and everyone has a different set point for when they feel tired after a certain number of hours - your 40-hour week may be someone else’s 100-hour week!); irregular sleep habits; poor diet; and basically being “on” all the time; eventually, our bodies catch up and physically can’t take it anymore without an even longer rest, if it ever recovers.

Workplace burnout has recently been recognised by the World Health Organization as a “workplace syndrome” classified by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11. This makes it even easier for us, whether we’re in medicine, tech or otherwise, to recognise signs of burnout, and the need to switch off and rest as part of our work/life routine.

Alex’s book gives tips from his research and work on this subject, and illustrates it with anecdotes from scientists who’ve raised productivity through napping; Stephen King’s writing routine; the benefits of walking; and other simple, inexpensive and time-effective measures for longevity in your work-life continuum. Like most books we recommend, it’s easy to read on the train, in bite-sized pieces, or all at once during your favourite reading time.

So, no more excuses. You deserve to Rest!

(The Medical Startup is an affiliate for Book Depository.)

Life As Usual - Managing Illness And Grief While Running Your Startup

The thing about illness is, it just hits you.

It’s unpredictable, it follows no rules (not always anyway, despite our best work as clinicians and scientists, biology is unique and will play its own role in each of us), and it hits you when you least expect it.

It’s damn frustrating, because our daily lives are built around routine, around schedules for work and appointments and goals and personal life. But illness doesn’t follow a schedule. The world doesn’t sit still while you suffer.

So what can you do?

You try to pace yourself, and take time off.

You limit your commitments; you rest; you take a break.

Then, when you feel better, you return to work, to your startups, to your passions - to your life as usual - and BAM! It hits you again. Or some other calamity related to the illness.

Whether it’s an illness hitting you, or your loved one; your life is disrupted again.

And think about the emotional trauma of impending bereavement; grief; or other foreshadowing..

Imagine this happening again, and again, and again, and again…..

This is reality for millions of people around the world.

And if it’s not cancer, child-related, or pregnancy-related, often the people affected are suffering in SILENCE- the kind where no one understands what’s going on with you.

How on earth can you live #lifeasusual while fighting something that’s bigger than you, that has no rule book, that pays no heed to your wishes, that doesn’t reward you for good rest and nutrition and self care?

You can recognise the things you can control.

All you can control is right in this moment.

The present.

Being mindful of your surroundings; of your circumstances; of the thoughts, fears and hopes in your head.

You can control your breathing; whether you take a step forward or back (literally); whether you choose to sit in stillness, or with a book and pen, or with headphones on the train, or holding your loved one’s hand.

You can accept that things aren’t right for now, and possibly won’t be ever again, instead of trying to hide those feelings; and that makes it easier to take your next step.

It’s tough while running the startups in your life, tough trying to keep all the wheels in motion while trying to be there for yourself and others who are most important to you.

Allow yourself to not listen to those who don’t understand- because there are many, unfortunately, who will choose not to.

Remember, you’re doing your best.

You deserve to be kind to yourself.

To be continued…

This week: AMA Queensland's Junior Doctor Conference

Coming up this weekend is AMA Queensland’s annual Junior Doctor Conference.

There will be many sessions available to help boost your career and friendships in Medicine, whether you’re from Queensland or interstate; working as a doctor, or as a medical student.

I’m looking forward to Chairing the Tech in Medicine panel on Sunday; we’ve been busy preparing and rehearsing our questions and sessions, and I’m excited to see the other sessions, too!

(Image courtesy of AMA Queensland)

There is tons on Career Planning; variations on this year’s theme of Crossroads, including Alternate Career Paths in Medicine; how to land that College place of your dreams; Clinical Skills workshops; medicolegal issues; and other current topics that junior doctors face in Australia and around the world.

Tickets are still available; there’s also a Cocktail night on the Saturday night; and you’ll get to make new friends and enjoy Brisbane while at it! Previous conferences have been fantastic for building new skills and knowledge to set you up for the wards. #whattheydontteachyouinmedschool

For the full program and tickets, please visit AMA Queensland’s website.

Fear is the Enemy of Creation

Something I’ve been thinking of recently.

Is Fear synonymous with Perfectionism?

Fear of screwing it up?

Fear of not getting it right the first time?

Fear of looking like a fool (a usually unjustified concern)?

Fear you’ll launch and sell not one item?

Fear you’ll screw up your job interview and miss out on your dream job?

Are you fearing what others might say and think about your choices?

Does it really matter?

As long as you’re choosing something you’re passionate about, and believe in, by action you can convince yourself.

It’s all about learning along the way.

And acknowledging your fear.

Seth Godin says here to “acknowledge” the fear and shame. Don’t fight it. “I listen to it and do it anyway. And that is where we’re going to make the impact.”

It’s being mindful of it.

And recognising your power to conquer your fears.

What are you scared of most?

Is it really that bad?

Write down three actions you can take to challenge it.

Is #BalanceForBetter? International Women's Day 2019

This International Women's Day, and for all the days after it:

- I pledge to be kind to myself, because I know I haven't been; 

- I pledge that I will look after my health and wellbeing as well as I look after others'

- I will cheerfully accept that as women AND men we can't "have it all" or "do it all" at once, and enjoy knowing there's a season for everything

- I will take more walks, see more trees, swim more seas, and relax with Mother Nature

- I won't worry about the future; it hasn't happened; the past was a kind teacher, but the present is where we need to be

- I relish the journey, and enjoy each minute, being patient for the destination;

- I see "balance" as a continuum, as not equal halves or thirds or quarters in life, but more as a "flow" and that relieves pressure for women everywhere; 

- I am content and happy, and hope that you all are, too.

Happy International Women’s Day, everyone!

#BalanceForBetter  #IWD2019

Empowerment through eLearning in Medicine

You may have noticed on Instagram- I’ve been working on developing online courses.

The courses will have a difference to what’s existing already. There are literally thousands of fantastic courses online that will help you learn to code, sew, speak Spanish, and more.

But nothing out there exists specifically for medical workers and the entrepreneurially-minded out there, from a medical perspective, from real experiences.

How does startup thinking apply to you as a doctor, nurse, physio, engineer and so forth?

Where do you start when a great idea comes to mind?

What’s the truth about how clinicians really feel at times- burnt out, exhausted, demotivated, self-loathing even? How is this similar to how entrepreneurs in other industries feel? And how can all of you learn from these experiences and overcome them, or at least start to tackle them when you’re on the go, on rotation in the middle of nowhere, a busy parent on night shift, or taking a gap year overseas?

I realised that, by exploring all these topics the last three years, even when it wasn’t clear to me at first (this whole blog started by accident, after all!), the whole journey has helped me in my own personal and professional life.

I went through all of this myself, was burnt many times, and know what lies are out there, what superficial constructs have been built supporting the “Silicon Valley mindset”, how toxic this can be to you as a compassionate person who works in healthcare or wants to start in healthcare, and how the medical world is similar to this.

And also, what’s changing about these worlds, to accept more human elements, more authenticity, more vulnerability, and more real sharing of experiences and ideas.

Thinking of your path as your own Startup is one way to start healing yourself, to build resilience, and to encourage yourself when you’re alone, when you feel misunderstood, and things seem tough. Even if you never start your own tech company, it doesn’t matter. We can all learn from startup thinking, even if your pursuit is actually in art or music or sport.

And that’s the thing. From Day 1, I was keen to feature people who are like me- creative as well as in STEM- to help transform the dialogue in medicine, that we are just what our job roles say- RMO, RN1, Dietitian, and nothing else beyond that. What happened to the extracurricular activities we loved in school, and how they were promoted as part of our curriculums there?

I felt ridiculed and even stupid for having a strong creative passion from childhood, and trying to marry this with medicine, which I also enjoy. Really, we all use creativity to some extent in our daily lives. From showcasing interviews with photographers, magicians and jewellery designers, to gaining confidence for my own journey in the creative industries, and to being approached to help start other ventures, this journey has been incredible and taught me a lot that I can share with you, too.

I’ll keep you posted- best is to sign up to the Mailing List at the bottom of this page, and/or follow on social media; if any questions about what particularly you’d like to learn or are struggling with, please send me an email at info (at) themedicalstartup.com.

Thank you for being part of our journey throughout, can’t wait to share more!

Cheers,

Louise

Success At All Costs?

I touched on this briefly in my New Year’s post.

What saddened me when I dug deeper into medical startups in 2016 was that, quite often, success was seen as something to achieve at all costs, with no respect for customers, colleagues, or the wider community.

Even if a brand has a carefully constructed facade, it will all fall apart behind the scenes if you don’t genuinely care.

Coming from the similarly ruthless world of physician training, I found it very disappointing, especially when startups and the entrepreneurial world are trying to attract more clinicians.

Most clinicians are attracted to healthcare because of the caring aspect. They genuinely want to help make a great contribution to people’s lives, through direct patient-clinician contact.

That compassion and vulnerability can be misused by unscrupulous individuals and companies, and even with a strong Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, the WHY behind the company can be lost.

Is any industry safe from this?

No.

But it’s up to us, the individuals, to keep our values in mind, and live them.

For real.

Are you living your Mission Statement?