Charlotte Blease

Great to be on.

And I'm very sorry to hear about your injury.

Yeah, I wrote the book because I was really interested in thinking about exactly what you've commented on and observed in your own case.

What are the problems with current health systems?

And as patients, we're very alert to them.

We know what they are.

But what are the problems to which

technology could potentially be a solution.

So what I focus on is problems like what you've mentioned, access to health care.

It's estimated that there was a study in the US in 2020 that found that patients take an average of two hours out of their day for a 15 minute medical appointment.

And that's longer, incidentally, if you're if you're on a lower income.

because you probably have to take time off gig economy jobs and use public transport.

So there's all kinds of barriers to accessing our doctors.

But even whenever we get into the clinic, there are all kinds of psychological pitfalls that can kick in as well.

And I talk about that in the book too, considering how people disclose their symptoms, how doctors keep up to date with information, all kinds of challenges there.

Absolutely.

My premise in the book really is to say, look, let's take seriously the idea that doctors are not gods.

And unfortunately, we kind of as patients, we tend to collude in this idea that they should be infallible.

They should be omnicompetent and capable.

And we feel let down when they don't get it right.