TV vs Computer

We got our first TV when I was a child.  It was a black and white behemoth.  We got one channel with sporadic reception.  But it took a commanding place in our household.  It was front and center in the living room.  It was also front and center in our minds.  It was television!  It demanded our attention.  We had to do things on it's terms.  If we wanted to see a particular show, we arranged our schedule around it.  Skipping commercials was not an option.  (They were often part of the show itself.)  TV hasn't changed much.  It still demands that the viewer do things on it's terms and it's schedule; even as hard as VCRs, DVRs & PVRs have tried to change that.

Computers, as an entertainment source, on the other hand allow the user to come and go as they please.   We decide what we want to view, when we want to view it.  The advertising is there, but again we choose whether to view it.  The user is in control.  (As I say this I also realize that while I technically control my computer, sometimes it seems the computer is doing it's own thing ;) 

There is an important analogy here for health care.  In the past the doctor told the patient what to do and when to do it.  Today the patient has the opportunity to take charge of their own health.  With adequate information patients can effectively evaluate available options and make the best decision for themselves and their families.  For who can make a better decision than the individual themselves.  The doctor becomes an adviser; part of their team, rather than someone who dictates what must be done. 

For many years now, I have tried to educate patients and give them the option to chose the care they feel is best and respect the choice they make.  All I can do is make recommendations.  I know that in my own health decisions I want to be in control, not controlled.  I want to be on the computer, not in front of the TV.  How about you?