Two articles published recently in the NYT caused me to sit back and wonder what was right about healthcare and health education. I’m not sure whether it’d be easier to write a list of the good or the bad. It’s true that there are a lot of good programs out there training our new doctors, nurses, physical therapists, physician assistants, etc. And there are a lot of well-intention practitioners out there, but how many are operating under the influence? We don’t allow people to drink and drive but we do allow them to practice medicine under the influence of companies. Today pseudo educational talks and trips sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, studies funded by a drug maker, and the broken nature of health insurance make me wonder what healthcare could really be like if things were different. If they aren’t under the influence of another company, then too often they only think of their practice’s pocketbooks. Ordering a scan from your own office on old equipment (where you’ll make money) vs. allowing the scan to take place elsewhere with newer equiptment (no money in your pocket). But it’s not just about money, the quality of these tests affect the quality of medical care. But how do we make this not about the bottom dollar but about good healthcare. Can there be good healthcare for all under a free market. I’m not so sure.
I blogged recently about the end of promotional products from the pharmaceutical companies (like pens, mugs, and notepads). Clearly we need to continue this line of thinking. I wonder though if companies weren’t after only profit and their own sales, would they even continue to fund the clinical trials? Who would it behoove? I don’t know what the fix to this mess is, but I know the time to reform is now. I hope the Obama administration really can make changes this year. We have to start somewhere.
Those two articles…
