Fiddling While Health Care Fizzles
The recent report card on American medicine by the Commonwealth Fund provides us with more bad news about our health care: It is not great, especially in comparison with other developed countries that spend considerably less to produce better outcomes. Plus, our trends are headed in the wrong direction, getting worse instead of better.
Every day, people tell me about the appalling, dangerous, haphazard care they receive. Some of these people are ordinary citizens but many are wealthy, respected health professionals who find that their expertise and experience can’t protect them from poor-quality, disrespectful care. I, like you, am wondering when the American public is going to do that “Network” thing and stand at the window screaming, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” Then again, maybe it’s just not that bad. Herb Stein – the late economist and social critic -- noted that things that are intolerable are not long tolerated.
Sure, most people are well most of the time and when they need health care, they are generally in no condition to go to battle against the very people who they hope will ease their suffering and save their lives. But you would think the constant stream of messages about the poor quality and high cost of health care would raise the issue as vitally important to both Presidential and Congressional elections – or would prompt individuals to take matters into their own hands and resort to a “do it yourself” approach to health.
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Jessie
Gruman
President
Center for the
Advancement of Health |
We are seeing glimmers of both, but the prospects are dim: Lip service is given to health care reform by both Presidential candidates, but the size of the deficit, the urgency of the war and the failing economy undermine chances of all but the most incremental change. Similarly, the growth of Health 2.0 – the on-line patient/consumer communities – is hailed as “the people rising” solution. However, these collections of early adopters have yet to gather sufficient depth and authority to become the first port of call for most people when they get sick.
Meanwhile, a few vigilant souls heed the warnings: We compile our own health records while awaiting the computerized network that will take over this important chore, only to be denied copies of our own records and test results. We acquire and bring along these documents and find them rejected by providers who prefer to repeat the procedures themselves – simultaneously enhancing both their control and income. We bring lists of questions and leave with them unanswered due to a lack of time. We ask for second opinions in the face of opposition from our own doctor.
Is this, then, the message to us patients: “The health care system is broken and we can’t fix it; you can’t either?”
We know things are bad. We can’t wait for the nation’s political winds to shift, the professional jealousies to be sorted out or the money trails redirected to provide incentives for quality care. The health of our moms and dads and grandparents and kids is on the line right now.
Change is overdue. I’m getting impatient. And I’m not alone.
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