[quote=moneymaker]I find it very ironical that the US has the most expensive health care that is revered all around the world and yet when I read peoples experiences on medicine.net or other health care sites, doctors are constantly misdiagnosing people. I think most of you out there know what I’m talking about. So wouldn’t it be better to build a better health care system that can get it right the first time and thus be more efficient. I think this approach really applies to everything out there and not just health care, car repair, cable companies, plumbers. 10 minutes with a patient just is not going to be enough time for a doctor to get it right most of the time, a more holistic approach would be better.[/quote]
Not to make excuses for those doctors, but patients frequently come in with a list of 5-10 problems expecting them to be addressed within a 15-20 minute visit, essentially expecting a 2 minute per problem efficiency and 100% accuracy. And don’t forget the “oh-by-the-way” bomb on the way out that they expect fully addressed by the doorway.
The problem is the way things are structured. Someone is paying thousands of dollars for the insurance. Then another $50 for the copay. Of course they feel they are entitled to hit the doctor with as much questions as they can squeeze in. Which then lead to medical mistakes and excessive labs and studies, driving up cost even more.
This is a vicious cycle.
Bring the cost down with a single payer system, and people are not going to feel the need to milk that 20 minute visit for everything they got, and they might actually get good advice and more accurate diagnosis.
