The Secret of Great Health Care
Chapter 10: Patients Do Not Take Responsibility
The medical system is a complex, fragmented system. It falls upon the shoulder of each individual to take responsibility to assure proper health care, which can result in more effective care. You need to understand your medical care and become a partner in your medical care.
The health care system is overburdened, fragmented and as a whole not concerned about your health as much as you are. Each patient must assume responsibility for his or her own health.
It is important to have an understanding of the problems with the health system so you can combat them. In order to avoid bad medical care, each individual must take control of each health care encounter. This goes against the grain of the paternalistic view of medicine where it is assumed that doctor knows best. Today’s health care system is not set up for such a view. Each individual needs to be his or her own health care advocate. A passive voice will not suffice; being a proactive member of your health care team is the only way to avoid disaster.
Running to the doctor, urgent clinic or emergency room is not necessarily the best option for every situation. Health care providers often do things to appease the patient instead of doing the right thing. For example, ear infections will often clear without antibiotics, but if you go to the doctor in the United States and an ear infection is diagnosed, almost every time an antibiotic is prescribed. The benefit of the antibiotic is probably not greater than the risk for many ear infections. The World Health Organization ranks that the United States as the 37th best health care system in the world. America’s health care system is fraught problems and its patient satisfaction is rated very low. In the developed world, American’s health care system is ranked at the bottom of many indicators such as infant mortality and life expectancy. Doctor appointments, in the eyes of many patients, are sub-par. Health care visits are typically about 15 minutes. The health care provider has a lot of work to do in that short visit. The health care provider needs to review the chart, talk to the patient, examine the patient, write in the chart, answer questions, fill out forms and dispense prescriptions. Time limits placed on office visits do not allow the health care provider to spend adequate time with the patient. Health care consumers need to maximize this short time with the doctor. This includes being organized and knowing how to communicate with the health care system. Health care consumers are ultimately responsible for their health and need to act accordingly. Many things can be done for many different conditions, symptoms and aliments that do not require the input of the health care system. The health care system is in need of many changes and people need to realize that they need to take responsibility for their health.
Long waits in the emergency room, urgent care setting or doctor office is considered normal. In order to maximize time utilization, health care providers schedules are filled up and sometimes even double or triple booked. One small problem in the day can throw the whole schedule behind.
Reference
World Health Organization. World Health Organization Assesses the World's Health Care Systems. Retrieved April 16 2009 from: http://www.who.int/whr/2000/media_centre/press_release/en/index.html
