Staying in Your Lane—Perhaps Change Lanes!

It is hard to believe that 2025 is almost half over. Time does not have any constraints. It also seems to me, anyway, that chaos reigns over all of us. I recall a television commercial awhile back; I believe it was an AT&T commercial that included a tattoo artist, where the main character uses a colloquial phrase, “stay in your lane, bro.” Merriam-Webster lays out the history of this idiom as a “term of admonishment or advice against those who express thoughts or opinions on a subject about which they are viewed as having insufficient knowledge or ability.” ¹

The 24-h news cycle clearly has demonstrated this concept, whereas there is a whole slew of individuals (another colloquial expression) that comment on a myriad of issues, including health, that they actually know little about. This may even be driving policy changes. Inexperience and lack of knowledge have repercussions. Even in university settings, the pipeline for graduate students to assume new roles upon graduation has taken a hit! Think of how a nation moves forward when thinking and research are restricted or perhaps destroyed!

Over the course of our moving the needle on the implementation of telemedicine and telehealth, we have all experienced leadership that is either complacent with the status quo or not informed adequately to make a change. Perhaps they are stuck in their own lane or are unwilling to change lanes. Which brings up the concept of changing lanes.

If we stay in the lane where we are comfortable and know everything we could possibly know or understand about a subject or process, there is stability but not much innovation. Now if we change lanes, like on a freeway, and we pass someone who may also be comfortable, we might get to our destination faster. I am pretty sure that innovation and discovery does not happen if you do not change lanes! Telemedicine and telehealth have moved forward because there has been a need—the Public Health Emergency—and there has been continuous improvement in technology, and individuals have always looked for improvements in workflow. Yet, there remains a resistance to accept what we have already demonstrated that works and continues to evolve. This can often be attributed to lack of leadership or leadership that is unwilling to change.

We might have individuals above and below our positions in government, industry, and academia who challenge us but do not want to change lanes. It is our job to convey to them the evidence and value of changing lanes. This cannot be done without thought or conviction. We must be armed with the facts and not just be well-versed personalities on cable news networks! There are arguments for both sides of applying and integrating telemedicine and telehealth. But it is our patients and health systems that need to embrace the possibilities.