| Aren't we over-generalizing here? Obviously not all doctors fall into the category delineated in this thread. If it is true that doctors are like anyone else and are "fallible and foibled" then it must also be true that they can be caring, decent people who truly want to help their patients.
Not everyone in America has succumbed to the diseased and evil version of capitalism that is so pervasive in our country today. Some doctors do what they do because they genuinely care about the welfare of others and not because of the money.
Make no mistake, I whole-heartedly believe that each individual is ultimately responsible for their own well-being and life. To blindly place all your trust into the hands of another human being is inviting disaster no matter who that person is, whether it be a doctor, a priest, or a president.
I have had many unsatisfactory experiences with doctors in the past. But I have since learned that if I am not happy with the way a doctor is treating me I am free to go elsewhere and that is exactly what I have done. I was disgusted with my previous PCP because I would wait in his lobby for 30 minutes, then in the examination room for another 30 minutes, only to have him come in and pretend to be interested in my problems and concerns for about 3 minutes. So I found another PCP. Luckily he is quite attentive to my needs as an individual, is passionate about his work, and keeps abreast on the latest findings. Even though I am happy with my current doctor I still assume the ultimate responsibility for my health. I take it upon myself to learn about the medicines I take, my diet, my fitness and my conditions. If you aren't taking the same level of responsibility for yourself then don't blame it on some doctor, no matter how crappy they may be. If YOU can't take the time to care about yourself to begin with then you are most likely not going to take the time to find the right doctor for yourself either.
I also want to make a comment on the issue of malpractice suits. I live in Texas and recently a law was passed that puts severe limits on victims of bad healthcare. An arguably low cieling has been placed on remuneration for damages inflicted as well as other restrictions. The argument was that it would keep our medical bills low because malpractice insurance costs that are spiralling out of control due to inflated or false claims would finally stabalize. While the issue is far from being that simplistic I think the reasoning for the law is dubious at best and I have yet to see any decrease in my medical costs since it has been enacted. Like most laws of this nature I'm guessing it is truly benefiting the big businesses that "bought" the law via campaign doanations, special interest donations, etc.
I personally don't think the health industry has adequately evolved and adapted to the changes that have swept our world. Most doctors are attempting to conduct business in a manner that is essentially the same as it was centuries ago. Trying to adapt such an antiquated methodology to present-day problems is not possible. The scientific, medical, and especially technological advanced made in the past 50 years has exponentially increased the amount of information and knowledge that a doctor needs to understand and manage. Such a feat is simply not possible for a human being. I think this is one of the reasons we now seem to be suffering from so many breakdowns in our health care system. Like most things in life I am afraid that the situation will have to get worse before it gets better. The old beast must die before the new one can take its place.
One of the reasons my physician and my children's phsycisian are successful is because they have attempted to modernize their practices. My doctor always has a palm pilot that holds complete patient histories, databases of prescription drugs and their interactions, conditions and their symptoms, etc. The doctor's office my kids go to have gone completely paperless. Everyone carries around a PC tablet and they all have instantaneous and up-to-date data at all times.
Unfortunately there is a dark side to this as well. Immediacey to and transparency of such copious amounts of personal information isn't limited to well-meaning physicians. Derivatives of the technology are being implanted in the products we buy, billboards we see, and even into our own bodies. I suspect it is only a matter of time before it becomes mandatory that all babies are implanted with a personal data chip upon birth. Even now our government and corporations and hospitals are requiring some to have a rice-sized microchip implanted under their skin for security and informational purposes.
It may seem that I have digressed from the original issue but my point is that the solution to the problem of "bad doctors" and "medical mistakes" may be more ominous and worrisome than we suspect.
While there might not be some evil cabal explicitly attempting to rob us of our freedom via things like new technology (or the Patriot Act for that matter), I think circumstances and situations can slowly turn what initially appears to be an innocuous and beneficial intention into a tool used by those in power to further control and oppress those without the means to defend themselves, i.e. - You and I. |