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Examining America's healthcare system
What do healthcare providers prescribe for America?
To fix America's ailing healthcare system, experts recommend developing modern information systems to reduce costly errors and providing affordable insurance plans for all.
By Mehmet Oz, M.D.
From the March/April 2006 Issue
His family trusted me with his care, but I knew little about my patient, except that he would die without a mechanical pump to support his failing heart. He had undergone unsuccessful emergency coronary bypass surgery elsewhere before being transferred to our hospital. In our possession were Xeroxed records from his old chart, which we used as part of our effort to piece together his medical history. 1. Modernized health information systems will reduce dangerous and expensive medical errors. Electronic patient records can be shared between doctors and brought together to produce meaningful outcomes data that support decision-making. Under such a system, both doctors and patients would be better informed and medical practice would be advanced. We need to build a national health information infrastructure that includes standards for collecting and sharing data to reduce wasteful paperwork and save money. Our banks should not have better information systems than our hospitals. 2. Progressive health justice programs should build trust by prompting doctors to more readily share the truth about unexpected outcomes with patients and colleagues. How else can we learn from the mistakes that humans taking care of humans are destined to make? Plus, the public benefits much more from solutions that reduce errors in care than from compensation systems for the few who win the litigation lottery. Many solutions have been offered, including creation of health courts (resembling tax courts) where expert panels could streamline payment of money to injured patients and families with less delay and overhead. Perhaps the few doctors who are dishonest with their patients about errors would be ineligible for these health courts. 3. Affordable health insurance for all is essential to protect the trust between doctor and patient and to avoid scenarios like the case described above. In addition, besides unnecessarily delaying their care, uninsured patients become expensive drains on our healthcare system, and we end up paying, anyway. A variety of plans have been suggested to achieve this goal, including subsidizing insurance premiums for the poor while compelling all others to purchase a discounted minimum plan (as is the case with automobile insurance). We need to pick a program and get going.About the Author: Post contributing writer Mehmet Oz is a world-renowned transplant surgeon, professor of surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and co-author of the New York Times bestseller You: The Owner's Manual.
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