Has a doctor ever said to you, “For someone your age …” followed by a recommendation or perhaps a compliment about how well you’re doing? Standard attitudes about patients play a major role in shaping medical recommendations, and practitioners often propose the same treatment for anyone of a given age. I can’t be the only one who has noticed, however, that not all 65-year-olds are the same. Nor are all 40-year-olds.
Statistics abound: “The average age for hip replacement is 70.” Since I haven’t had one, people may wonder why I’m postponing it. “The average age for cataract surgery is 73.” Someone recently asked me whether I’d I had my eyes “done” yet. I guess I should let statistics run my life, making major health decisions even if my body has a different opinion.
A SURPRISING PRESCRIPTION
Rather than grouse, I propose a solution from an unexpected field: foreign language. Those of us who speak and teach them know that “She speaks French” is misleading, because it provides no information on how well she speaks French. So we language people have levels, such as A1, A2, B2 etc., to describe a speaker’s ability or comfort level in various situations.
To illustrate: You may be at ease ordering a meal in French, or using public transportation. Master another level and you’re comfortable in casual conversation. The really proficient can address a group of professionals, or defend themselves in court in that language. We teachers reflect that in a way that is applicable to even the loftiest of professions. Again, “speaking French” is vague, just as “35-year-old” is vague.
Not all native speakers of English handle the language with finesse. Just listen to ordinary conversation, where most people rely on the same boring words, like “amazing” or “Gotcha.” But being on a par with one’s peers is crucial to success, whether you’re a high-level executive, an academic, an actor, or a police officer. Likewise with foreign languages.
A FEASIBLE CLASSIFICATION SCHEME
The medical establishment could devise a system whereby persons of a given level were treated based on individual physical fitness, regardless of age (or gender). It would, of course, be highly complex, but here’s a caricature of the basic structure: level A1 could apply to anyone able to walk unassisted from the bed to the bathroom. A2 could be walking from the bed to the mailbox. Level B1: anyone who could do three push-ups and stand on one foot for three seconds. Level B2: 10 push-ups and stand on one foot for thirty seconds. And so on. At the top level would be the professional athletes and dancers, who can do endless push-ups and balance on toes for hours on end.
ADVANTAGES? EVERYBODY WINS
We have a negative point system for drivers and auto insurance, so why not a positive system with healthcare? Insurance coverage could reward those of us eager beavers who improve our levels, and the system could factor in genetic conditions, and the natural aging process. Benefits would accrue to those who take responsibility for our health versus those who, ignoring all that data about excess sugar and diabetes expect the doctor to “fix” them. And which the rest of us pay for in the form of higher premiums.
NEW ROLE FOR DOCTORS
Healthcare practitioners could become the teachers we need to help us take care of ourselves. The word “doctor” comes from the same root as “teacher” (like “doctrine” or “docent”). Oh no! Teachers give homework! And yes, this means that we must do our homework if we want to prevent or improve condition x or y.
But just think: We would be happy school children if our report card showed progression from, e.g., level H3 to level H4. If insurance companies cooperated, we would enjoy a lower premium. Employers could reward those whose benefits cost the company less than those who get a bad report card. Is there any obstacle to developing such a scheme?
HERE’S THE OBSTACLE
Ideas are cheap, and the challenge is implementation. Perhaps there’s a genius out there who could devise a scheme of the type I mention, e.g., someone’s Ph.D. project. “Disease” organizations (e.g., American Heart, American Diabetes Association) currently offer advice on healthy diet and exercise, but it appears that many need something stronger, like money, in order to do what’s right for their bodies. What have we got to lose? Our health.