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The Healthcare Dilemma
Jan. 28th, 2011 02:49 pmCross-posted from a Facebook response, I thought it worth recording here so I could access it quickly for later reference.
Right now, a doctor visit boils down to a standard formula: Tell me about the one symptom that's bothering you the most. *rip* Here's what my drug rep recommends for that. Nice to chat. Come see me again for anything else that's bothering you. *wanders off into next exam room*.
Time to explore alternative or natural therapies? Zip. They don't teach such things in med school. Time to counsel people regarding preventive care? Eating right? Good antioxidants? Exercise program? Stress reduction? Zip. No time in the three minutes per patient recommended by HMO's. Oh, and you're a medicare patient? Sorry, we don't take those anymore.
(To be fair, there are good people all through the system who are doing their best to break the mold and make a difference, but it's like holding out your hand to stop a hurricane.)
Much of the anguish is driven by Big Pharma, whose only interest is keeping people sick rather than helping them get well; be sure to ask your physician if Damitol™ is right for you. Patients are just as much to blame as doctors and drug reps - they don't feel good, and they want a magic bullet to help them feel better.
I don't see an easy fix, but I also don't see that the ObamaCare initiative is addressing the root causes of the problem. We're trying to come up with a way to fund the continuing operation of a Broken System, rather than repair it.
Right now, a doctor visit boils down to a standard formula: Tell me about the one symptom that's bothering you the most. *rip* Here's what my drug rep recommends for that. Nice to chat. Come see me again for anything else that's bothering you. *wanders off into next exam room*.
Time to explore alternative or natural therapies? Zip. They don't teach such things in med school. Time to counsel people regarding preventive care? Eating right? Good antioxidants? Exercise program? Stress reduction? Zip. No time in the three minutes per patient recommended by HMO's. Oh, and you're a medicare patient? Sorry, we don't take those anymore.
(To be fair, there are good people all through the system who are doing their best to break the mold and make a difference, but it's like holding out your hand to stop a hurricane.)
Much of the anguish is driven by Big Pharma, whose only interest is keeping people sick rather than helping them get well; be sure to ask your physician if Damitol™ is right for you. Patients are just as much to blame as doctors and drug reps - they don't feel good, and they want a magic bullet to help them feel better.
I don't see an easy fix, but I also don't see that the ObamaCare initiative is addressing the root causes of the problem. We're trying to come up with a way to fund the continuing operation of a Broken System, rather than repair it.
