For those of you in the biomedical sciences program, it should say something that we spend so much time reading about and discussing some contemporary ethical issues related to the fields we intend to go into. Physicians have to deal with issue of ethical ambiguity fairly often, and it is clear that emerging technologies are going to have to pass a gauntlet of medical, legal, and moral battery that we will have front-row seats to. That being said, we really haven’t addressed what I see as the leading issue undermining the overall efficacy of contemporary U.S. healthcare – the business model. Insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and hospital administrations (just to name a few) often have to try and find a balance between maximizing profits and protecting patients. My personal belief, and surely the belief of many others, is that one end of the teeter-totter is too weighed down by the bags of money these groups are raking in.
Dr. Wozniczka (Dr. Dan), I think, has a really eloquent way of explaining what he thinks the role of the physician should be proceeding into the future. To him, he advocates for not only business literacy amongst physicians so that they can supplant the current financially-incentivized leaders, but also for the active fighting of the system on behalf of patients. Essentially, he wants physicians to fight through all the paperwork and red tape in order to jump on the other end of the teeter-totter. He wants to see more political activism for the sake of patients, because clearly money has been talking loudly enough.
But would this be enough? Should private business models even be allowed in these institutions? My immediate thought is that a governmentally run healthcare system (socialized medicine) could financially protect patients and guarantee an appropriate level of care to everybody. Physicians could actually spend time getting to know their patients, and maybe some of that preventative medicine stuff we keep mentioning could find a niche in our current care model.
Though, I have to admit that squashing capitalistic forces in any industry can stifle research progress, and would the U.S. actually be saving money by such a conversion? It would be one thing to re-direct the profits such private models current acquire back into the health-care system and directly to patient care, but government work is known to be over-priced.
What do you think? As a physician, dentist, PT, PA, researcher, or otherwise, do you think you have a responsibility to try and change the system? Do you have any unique ideas for doing so?
Thank you for sharing! This was really interesting and so relevant. I think it is our responsibility to change the system. I think like Dr. Dan said, that we need doctors to be going into office and going into business. I think there also needs to be better communication between doctors, scientists, businessmen, and people in office. Without this communication, there will be no understanding between the two, and that is where the gap is and why we have some of the healthcare issues we have today. Having people who understand both, who are more well rounded and open to communication will be key to changing the system.
ReplyDeleteRiley, high five for this post! This is an absolutely relevant topic and issue that, in my opinion, is often only discussed in passing. I cannot count the number of times that physicians have tried to dissuade me from going into medicine because of the very things that Dr. Dan discusses. The amount of patient interaction is almost minute compared to all the other work physicians are expected/need to do to ensure that what they told their patient in the room will actually get done. I believe that as future healthcare providers we have a unique perspective and ability to change the system as Dr. Dan advocates for. I think that the drive to actually make this change will make us better healthcare providers. I agree with you, a governmentally run healthcare system could financially protect patients and provide opportunity for better treatment. However, if we don’t take the reins, medicine may continue on its current path and patient care may continue to decline. Becoming more business literate is a great place to start in making the change we hope to see in healthcare.
ReplyDeleteThis is very well written! I also loved Dr. Dan's analogy of relating other leadership roles to the medical system. There have been countless times I have heard physicians being burnt out from having to deal with the business logistics that prevent them from giving excellent healthcare. I definitely see benefits to having physicians more involved in the administration of a hospital. One example is a physician known as ZDoggMD. He had been a hospitalist for 10 years when he became burnt out for all the reasons given in this video. He is now a public figure that advocates for better administration to facilitate better doctor and patient relationships. He does this by advocating for all healthcare workers through podcasts, YouTube videos, and public speaking at anything from conferences to talk shows. He is conducting research to support the transition of physicians into administrative roles. This has honestly made me consider getting an MBA myself!
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