Convergence: The Marriage of Eastern and Western Medicine

By Akhila Boda

Imagine being told to travel fifty kilometers to visit the nearest hospital for a basic health check-up. Even worse, imagine traveling to a hospital and being treated differently because of your race or ethnicity. As much as it hurts, healthcare disparities are still a reality in highly develo

• Language: English
• Publisher: Manuscripts LLC
• Release date: Oct 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798889267997

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Convergence: The Marriage of Eastern and Western Medicine

Convergence: The Marriage of Eastern and Western Medicine

Akhila Boda

Copyright © 2023 Akhila Boda

All rights reserved.

Convergence: The Marriage of Eastern and Western Medicine

ISBN

979-8-88926-798-0 Paperback

979-8-88926-799-7 Ebook

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Insulin Crisis

Prescriptions and the Fate of the Opioid Crisis

The Ethics of Medicine

Doctor Shopping

Economy of Health Care

Diversity in Medicine

Period Poverty

First Responders and Suicide

Evidence-Based Mindfulness Programs

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Epilogue

Appendix

Acknowledgments

Foreword—Dr. Anita Gupta

I first had the pleasure of meeting Akhila during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when the world was grappling with unprecedented challenges. Akhila stood out during this tumultuous period, tirelessly striving to strike a balance between innovation and social impact. She recognized the crucial importance of merging the realms of innovation and scientific rigor with the pursuit of social good, particularly in the field of health care.

Akhila’s unwavering dedication to understanding the intricacies of bringing social good through innovation and scientific advancement became evident in our conversations. She enlightened me about the sobering reality that, despite remarkable progress in health care innovation in the United States, a staggering 8.3 percent of individuals still face obstacles in accessing necessary medical care due to financial constraints or limited health care availability.

It came as no surprise to me when I discovered that Akhila had devoted over a year to addressing this critical issue. She is a remarkable leader, driven by an unwavering passion to make a tangible impact on health care. Her commitment to improving the well-being of individuals is truly inspiring.

In this book, Akhila takes us on a journey through a range of emerging crisis topics, from the devastating opioid crisis to the far-reaching ramifications of pandemics. She explores the frontiers of innovation in health care, shedding light on cutting-edge developments that hold immense potential for global health improvement.

Moreover, this book serves as a guiding light for global social entrepreneurs who are tasked with translating innovative ideas into tangible and actionable results. Akhila’s insights and experiences provide invaluable guidance on how to navigate the complexities of the health care landscape, equipping these entrepreneurs with the tools they need to effect transformative change.

Akhila’s expertise and passion shine through in every chapter of this book. She offers a unique perspective on the intersection of innovation, social impact, and health care, leaving us with a profound understanding of the immense challenges we face and the boundless possibilities that lie ahead.

I invite you to join me in embarking on this enlightening journey with Akhila, as we explore the pressing issues that shape our global health landscape and discover the transformative power of innovation in creating a healthier future for all.

Anita Gupta, DO, MPP, PharmD, FASA

Adjunct Assistant Professor

Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Introduction

At twenty-five, being a registered nurse, I was able to advocate for myself. And it was pivotal because there were White surgeons. They said, ‘Don’t worry about this thyroid disease; it is slow growing, so it’s no big deal’ (conversation with Layla Hafiz, BSN). Sometimes, these conversations have no negative intentions but can get lost in translation. Conversations similar to Hafiz’s have happened one too many times in twentieth-century America, where proper medical practices were not set in place and biases were involved with how patients of color were treated, causing most patients of color to get profited off of.

The nuances of health care have dominated the media in the last several decades for very good reasons: the complexities, difficulties in accessibility, and multifaced practices affect diverse patient populations. Moreover, health care insurance companies have built an empire that is completely independent of the federal government, granting insurance companies a business-like platform, and politicians who are elected as president are constantly trying to find a middle ground to make health care attainable for citizens. The US health care system is a much more complex issue than four to eight years of a president’s term; simply put, it cannot be fixed when insurance companies and drug companies have the power to shift the market in any way they please.

Most Americans with type I diabetes are caught in rationing their insulin supplies to prolong its use because there are only three insulin companies that have singlehandedly decided how they can control the market, which has led to outrageous insulin prices. Today, Eli Lilly’s often-used Humalog insulin injections fall at around $250, whereas in Canada, similar injections are sold for $32 (Martyn 2020).

However, all of health care does not paint a negative picture. Measures to provide populations who cannot get health care insurance, typically lower-income citizens, are treated at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). At FQHCs, patients who may be reluctant to take their medications are given incentives to stay on track to improving their current health conditions. My conversations with several nurses have given me a closer perspective on the types of patients they encounter and how patients can focus on getting better.

As a college student, though, I have opinions of my own on our current health care system. I definitely find it tedious to visit my physician for an annual check-up. I purposefully have to schedule a doctor’s visit around all of my extracurriculars and classes to tell my physician that Yes, I am eating my nutrients and getting an hour of physical exercise a day.

But as I have met people at my college campus, I have realized how blessed I am to have health care insurance. While I have taken it for granted, it is a hassle for some students to obtain health care insurance, which is especially evident because most college campuses require domestic and international students to have an insurance plan of some sort. Because I am under my parent’s insurance plan, I have not given much thought to what I would do when I am no longer on their plan. Under federal law, once someone turns twenty-six years old in the US, they are required to obtain their own health care insurance.

In April 2022, I began working as a research assistant in a lab with a focus on mindfulness. The lab draws the importance of how mindfulness can help reduce stress and allow us to be in the present moment. Through the lab, I became more exposed to Eastern medical principles including tai chi, acupuncture, yoga, mindfulness, and homeopathy. Using these focus areas, I wanted to portray both the Eastern and Western medical landscape. Many people living in the US are familiar with Western medical practices, but sometimes, Eastern medical practices are met with reluctance. With some of the thoughtful conversations I have had, my goal is to shed light on the benefits of Eastern practices, compare and contrast the two, and finally, leave you with an understanding of how interconnected medicine is.

I have been compelled to offer my perspective on our health care system because of my personal ties with health care. As the daughter of Indian parents, I have seen firsthand how health care differs between India and the US, and while both are far from perfect, there are pros and cons to either of the two. Now, as a premedical student studying neuroscience and business at the Ohio State University, I have accumulated knowledge along my educational journey about our health care system. Of course, I am not as well-versed as perhaps a physician who works in hospitals, but as a nationally certified emergency medical technician (EMT), I have had my fair share of patient encounters. These unique experiences give me the ability to speak on issues that concern both Eastern and Western medicine and business.

If you’re currently a student who is interested in going into health care, a health care worker, or an individual who has received any type of treatment at a clinic or hospital, this book is meant for you. In the following chapters, you will hear from frontline health care workers, students, and physicians on various aspects of Eastern and Western medicine. Specifically, there will be stories involving how people gave up going to a doctor’s visit because of not having eligible insurance or people overdosing on medications due to the ability to doctor shop.

Occasionally, names in the book were changed to maintain anonymity.

Insulin Crisis

In a country that gained its independence over two centuries ago, one would imagine that the proper pillars to ensure an effective health care system would be in place.

However, many politicians, health care providers, and social workers have time and time again failed to find an optimal solution that supports all parties in the health care sector. The real question is, why are we still unable to find a common ground that satisfies everyone?

As an EMT in the state of Ohio, I have had numerous conversations with patients from different walks of life. One common patient concern is, How can I pay for my medical bills?

Growing up, I didn’t give questions like these much thought because I was fortunate enough to have health care insurance, which most definitely obscured a false reality I was living in.

The more and more I saw through the EMT profession, the more I realized the loopholes in how pre- and post-hospital care is structured.

For one, patients are constantly moved from one facility to another. Not only do such transports take a toll on the mental health of patients, but it significantly increases the cost of their medical bills.

On one of my patient runs, I encountered an elderly female who was obese and unable to ambulate.

My partner and I received the report from the attending nurse that night at the hospital, and we were given a picture-perfect story. The nurse seemed relieved to discharge the patient because she had been a burden to the hospital staff.

As EMTs from an interfacility transport company, my partners and I ended up transporting the patient to her residence. Considering this patient was far from healthy—unable to ambulate, in need of many medications such as insulin, requiring additional supervision, and incontinent—I was very doubtful as to why we were taking her to her home, where it was more than likely that her family members were not able to provide the same type of care as in a hospital setting.

My partner, who had been working as a paramedic for over fifteen years, explained to me that even though it is painstakingly obvious that the patient should go to a nursing home, the patient chose to go to her residence because she was under a Medicaid plan and, via estate recovery, would most likely lose her home.

In times such as this one, patients need to weigh the question, do the benefits