September 19th, 2010 by Davis Liu, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
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Empowered patient. Consumer driven healthcare. Transparency. Access to their full medical records online. Review the latest news and you’ll discover more books and articles recommending patients be advocates for themselves. The pitch? The only way to get the best care is to be thorough, informed, and always asking questions.
This perspective is understandable because advocates have observed a healthcare system that provides inconsistent quality, too many preventable medical errors, and overtreatment resulting in unnecessary injuries and deaths. Even I’ve written a book saying the same thing, and I hate to write.
The public is urged to take charge of their health and their healthcare. When they have a problem, ask the doctor questions. Do research. If they need a procedure, shop around to get the best deal. Adopt good habits. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Stop smoking. Maintain a healthy weight. Exercise regularly. These will improve health and be less costly in the long run.
But is this what Americans really want? Do they want to be empowered patients? Can they be empowered patients? Frankly, no. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Saving Money and Surviving the Healthcare Crisis*
September 11th, 2010 by Toni Brayer, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (our government’s name for healthcare reform) may make our already crowded emergency rooms swarm with more patients.
A new study from Health Affairs shows that more than a quarter of patients who currently visit emergency departments in the U.S. are there for routine care and not an emergency. New complaints like stomach pain, skin rashes, fever, chest pain, cough or for a flare up of a chronic condition should not be treated in emergency rooms. They are best worked up and treated by an internist or family physician, preferably one who knows the patient. So why are these patients waiting for hours and spending up to 10 times as much money for emergency department care? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*
September 1st, 2010 by Davis Liu, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
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Everyone understands the need for a robust primary care workforce in making healthcare more affordable and accessible while keeping those in our care healthy. With the aging of America and healthcare reform, even more Americans will need primary care doctors at precisely the same time doctors are leaving the specialty in droves and medical students shun the career choice.
As a practicing primary care doctor, I’ve watched with great interest the solutions for the primary care crisis. And I’ve been utterly disappointed.
Patients so far don’t like the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) as noted in Dr. Pauline Chen’s New York Times column. The changes recommended won’t inspire the next generation of doctors to become internists and family doctors. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Saving Money and Surviving the Healthcare Crisis*
August 7th, 2010 by GruntDoc in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Quackery Exposed
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From the article “Millions spent on doctor ‘gagging orders’ by NHS, investigation finds” in the “Health & Families” section of The Independent in London:
Hospital doctors who quit their jobs are being routinely forced to sign “gagging orders” despite legislation designed to protect NHS whistleblowers, it is revealed today.
Millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money are being spent on contracts that deter doctors from speaking out about incompetence and mistakes in patient care.
Wow. I’m not being snarky here — I really have no idea: Does this happen in the U.S?
*This blog post was originally published at GruntDoc*
July 15th, 2010 by David H. Gorski, M.D., Ph.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Quackery Exposed, Research, True Stories
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There’s been a bit of buzz in the health blogs over President Obama’s decision last week to use the mechanism of a recess appointment to be the director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Recess appointments, for those who may not be aware, allow a President to put a nominee in place when Congress is in recess in order to have him in place without the messy process of having him approved by the Senate. True, the Senate still has to approve a recess appointment by the end of its term, or the seat goes vacant again, but it’s an excellent way to avoid having nasty confirmation fights during election years. Of course, both parties do it, and the reaction of pundits, bloggers, and politicians tend to fall strictly along partisan lines.
If you support the President, then a recess appointment is a way to get around the obstructionism of the other party. If you don’t support the President, it’s a horrific abuse of Presidential power. And so it goes. Either way, I don’t really care much about the politics of how such officials are appointed so much as who is being appointed.
The man who was appointed last week to head CMS is Donald Berwick, M.D., CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. His being placed in charge of CMS will likely have profound consequences not just for how the recent health care/insurance reform law is implemented, but for how the government applies science-based medicine to the administration of the this massive bill. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine*
