"You can't teach an old dog new tricks", alleges that older people are incapable of learning and using new information and procedures. That scandalous cliche belongs in the trashcan labelled "Ageist". Along with a recent epic personal achievement at age 88, I have it on the authority of "Dr. Google" that "Research shows older adults can learn multiple complex skills simultaneously". Said in 'everyday vernacular', an 'old dog' can learn 'new tricks' provided that the dog possesses two prerequisites: the old dog has half a brain and the old dog wants to learn.
Six years ago Covid caused teletherapy to emerge as the only way many of us could continue meeting with our clients. That adaptation pales in comparison with an epic transition our network is navigating.
To be considered 'epic', an event or accomplishment must be extraordinary and impressive in size and scope. Somewhere on the internet (Don't remember where), I found these among the characteristics of epical achievements: i) they encompass an extensive and massive scale ii) there often are seemingly supernatural interventions that either hinder or aid the person facing insurmountable odds [read: 'steep learning curve'] iii) challenges that require great bravery and persistence
Remember those as we proceed !
The 'epic' challenge that my colleagues and I currently confront is EPIC Electronic Medical Records. If you have been in medical office, you have likely met Epic even without being aware. Their website claims it is the largest electronic health records vendor with records for over 325 million patients. Do you have My Chart ? If so, your health history is in Epic. This may be one of the greatest understatements of all time: proficiency with the system "requires significant, prolonged training since the system is highly complex and not always intuitive." This 'old dog' frequently felt overwhelmed by the massive volume of information to navigate and pass tests. I knew that a challenge was impending when my wife's research indeed indicated "a steep learning curve"
For the first time in weeks,I feel reasonably "caught up". The amount of preparatory reading, instructional videos, tests (even on keyboard proficiency), practicing in the "playground" has been like the proverbial drinking water from a firehose. Often I felt as if we had encountered a gigantic jigsaw puzzle and lacked several pieces. Having learned many ---hardly all ---the basics for our clinical service, I wondered how this old dog learned the tricks. Identified so far ---personal pride [or stubbornness or resolve ] not to give up; claiming a longer attention span than in earlier days; several VERY PATIENT teachers who continue to instruct and to encourage. My mantra has become "I know more than I did but not as much as I will."
WOOF,
Satchel
