Why We Revolt
A Patient Revolution for Careful and Kind Care
Why We Revolt gives patients and caregivers the motivation they need to work for change.
Why We Revolt: A Patient Revolution for Careful and Kind Care by Victor Montori is a compelling call to change for the health-care industry.
In a world where the care in “health care” often seems like a cruel misnomer, Montori’s book is a determined plea for change. The health-care field has become quite industrialized, he shows, with the push for standardized practices and the drive for profits resulting in harried physicians, exorbitant costs, and rampant malpractice suits.
It all takes a toll on patients, those whom the industry is supposed to care for. Montori speaks from deep within the industry, as an expert physician specializing in diabetes, but eschews the self-protective reflex of so many in health care, instead boldly leveraging his experience to call for a full-scale revolution—not just reform—within a vocation that impacts each and every person.
The book is organized by problems (part one), such as heavy workloads and lack of compassion, and solutions (part two), such as acting with love and honor for all people. It closes by showing that, despite today’s pace of change, there is a deep timelessness to what good health care entails. While the revolution of the subtitle turns the industry on its head, what it calls for is indeed quite simple: listening, thought, care, and empathy.
The book opens with a chilling account of medical students beating up an emergency-room patient. None of the industry’s shameful underbelly is ignored. Montori sets aside the aloofness and research-driven approach common to the profession to speak as a person, in a voice that is humble and vulnerable. This humanity is the book’s strongest aspect, as when Montori shares heart-wrenching memories of a woman who died in his arms. Despite the rampant, dire problems recounted, the book is ultimately hopeful: change is possible, and together we can make it happen.
From Montori’s perspective, the solution must begin from outside the industry—with patients declaring that enough is enough. That’s why he’s offering his insider view to equip patients—or more aptly, citizens—to act. These essays are a rallying cry to patients, particularly those healthy enough to mobilize. With this book, concerned citizens will have clear insight into the problem and a few first steps to spark the revolution, such as using “patient care” language, modeled in the book, with friends and health-care providers.
Why We Revolt gives patients and caregivers the motivation they need to work for change.
Reviewed by
Melissa Wuske
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
