How soon we forget.

lamazeteacher · Feb 15, 2011

Quote from post # 83

"The system IS broken. All I've seen from the naysayers is "this isn't going to work" or "this won't change that" or "this isn't the answer".. but what I haven't seen from any of them is any other solutions. None. It's also amazing to me that people can see the future and claim to know what is or isn't going to work and what is or isn't going to change since we haven't even begun to TRY this program yet. "

I'm very happy to see your slant on the situation regarding the Reform of Health Care Act! It is seldom that doctors see through the naysayers' hype. It is the wish of those opposing President Obama as President, for various unrelated reasons to discredit programs which have been presented through intensive work by medical and financial experts on respected committees. The fact that the opposers project continuing increases in costs of health care in 10 years, based upon the current place health care is, reflects their expectation that the changes won't occur.

Rapid acceleration of doctors' fees happened when malpractise insurance premiums went ski high, following humungous monetary awards to patients who suffered greatly through neglect, lack of attention to their needs, and faulty communication. What most people don't get, is that lawsuits have to pass through legal procedures that rule out "frivilous" cases. Only those wherein actual damage has occurred will be heard in most courts.

What many physicians haven't appreciated is that they need to sharpen their communication skills and actually listen intently to their patients' perspectives of the care they expect doctors to provide. When a doctor projects a sense of sincere interest and empathy for their patients' unique situations; and describes their plan of care in ways that patients can easily perceive - when they are not in shock over just receiving their diagnosis (no matter how serious/or not), lawsuits seldom happen. Active listening techniques such as repeating what the patient was heard to say, helps.

I cannot understand why it is that doctors lack respect for their patients' rights. An example I can give from my experience, is a physician who was uncomfortable when his patient said in her first trimester that she wanted an abortion if her baby was not "normal". She was 36 years of age and no amniocentesis was done! When her baby arrived with the distinct facial signs of Downs' Syndrome the nurses were flabergasted to hear that doctor say that the baby was perfectly normal! Lying is a "cardinal" sin when relating to patients, and while the lack of the amnio was an "oversight", it certainly didn't cause the genetic deficit. It is doubtful that a court of law would rule against a doctor who upheld laws/their religious beliefs that discourage abortions.

Why that physician didn't truthfully explain why he/she was reticent to have the amnio done, and commiserate with the woman's unwillingness to have a baby with developmental disabilities I'll never know. That communication failure resulted in anguish for that healthcare provider and the patient and her family. He could have discussed his religious aversion to abortions and refer the patient to someone more in tune with that aspect of care. He chose to blame the patient, and ultimately a lot of money was spent on lawyers (who are after all, are the winners in high award cases).

While it is necessary to budget time spent with patients, the way to do that, is to hire a well qualified responsible team member in their offices and delegate such things as H&Ps, schedule surgeries, write/call in prescriptions, and arrange home health services, etc. A "medical assistant" with 3 weeks to 2 months of education in a technical teaching program after high school and little knowledge of essential aspects of patient care, is unable to be that person!

Echo_of_Faith · Feb 15, 2011

I have read through several responses, and am surprised to say how divided even the medical community is on this issue. Both good arguing points to both sides.

Now, we all have an opinion, so....

I think everyone continues to look at this issue (as with many other "big" issues) totally limited to what is on the plate right now. This issue isn't being forced to pay or that being unconstitutional, I mean no one really wants to be forced to do anything. We all want to make decisions for ourselves. While I would never say being made to get health insurance or be fined was constitutional, because let's face it, it's not - the bigger deal is the fact that the government feels its hands are tied (and won't think outside the box). The ER came up alot in responses. People are just not honest, they feel they are hurt and deserve free healthcare at a moment's notice when they come into the ER. The issue isn't whether someone has insurance, it's whether they pay for the service they were given. I have been in the ER a couple of times since I left home, I did not have insurance, but I paid for the services that were charged me. I moaned & complained of the individual billing & the high costs, but it got paid. Hospitals I've been in, spoken with, all seem to be fine in allowing the patient to setup arrangements to pay if uninsured. The chasmic problem is: the number of people who do not pay is so significant it is causing problems. The other side to this is the insurance itself. WHile private companies are private, there has got to be more regulation of rates, what is included in each tier of cost and what is not. It is by far too expensive,especially right now for a family of three to five to spend 700-1000/month for health insurance they probably only use 3-6x/year, mostly on things such as routine visits. The whole system needs an overhaul, not some quick fix to make the government thinks it's actually solving a problem. WE THE PEOPLE are the problem, you guys really have something against the healthcare reform, start making calls not just to the senators & reps in your state, call washington, write speeches and call your local news, post emails to big news media anchors, and start thinking outside the box on ways that will help all the way around. I may be a nurse, but I am still poor when it comes to finances. I do not overspend or overextend my credit, but I barely have enough to get buy. I will not be forced to get health insurance nor will I pay a fine for it, there is another way, a better way & only together as Americans in the HUMAN race will we find it. Unity has been shown in the past to make us stronger, we don't need a war or terrorists or some major trajedy to unite us, we simply should see that we are united in that we are all human and solve not only this problem but the other ones we face as well. While debates are fun & can be constructive & make us think, in reality they leave us no better off than where we began. Debating the issue of something that has already come, and we'll probably see go, doesn't solve anything. So start thinking, find a way to solve the problem for us all.