Obama's Healthcare Reform...Good Strategy!

Discussion in 'Politics' started by joepistole, Mar 31, 2009.

  1. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    In watching Obama go about healthcare reform I cannot help to be impressed with his skill. He is recruiting powerful allies in his quest to reform American Healthcare....big business. Business and Obama understand that the current American healthcare system is riddled with in efficiency and very expensive. It simply cannot continue in its present state.

    The current American healthcare system is very physician focused...not patient focused. The patient is only necessary to fund the physician. It is high time that some of the efficiency and quality controls that we have seen in business enter the healthcare industry.

    Aside from the cost, the problem with American healthcare is that if the physician does not know the diagnosis or assigns an incorrect diagnosis, the patient is screwed. He/she must find a new physician and hope the new physician can solve the problem. When you have a system or process you can identify errors and fix them before they occur. Unfortuantely we really do not have much of a patient care system in The United States.

    Theses are antidotal stories but I have personally wittnessed major failures in the current system of healthcare cause by physican inability to make a correct diagnosis.

    The other day in talking with my brother, he told of a collegue he met at a recent convention. Last year the collegue looked as though he were on the brink of death. This year he was the epitomy of health. My brother inquired and found that this friend had been misdiagnosed by his physician. The only way this individual was correctly diagnosed was when his employer provided a routine health screening and did some routine lab work. The lab worked uncovered his friends true affliction...proper treatment was rendered. And his friend fully recovered. This kind of thing happens all too frequently in the current American healthcare system.

    How much is being spend in The United States on unneeded diagnostic proceedures and treatments because physicians cannot render a good and accurate diagnosis?

    http://www.premerus.com/news/Misdiagnosis_in_America.pdf

    http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/573828?src=mp&spon=27&uac=5243EK

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/105528.php
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2009
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  3. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    So with Obama's gov takeover of the system, doctors will magically become smarter and more able to make correct diagnoses? Does Obama give all doctors injections of ....smartness and ability?

    Baron Max
     
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  5. CharonZ Registered Senior Member

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    I am also interested how quality control can actually be implemented on the primary care level. I think in about any system the quality of primary care physicians varies enormously. One thing that may be implemente4d though, is to cut the loss if you change your physician. As it is today many plans only give access to a certain network of MDs and each time you visit another one you often pay out of pocket. A system where you can consult several MDs with reduced cost might help.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2009
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  7. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    LOL I am amazed that you are able to get out of bed every morning Baron. Where did I say anything about making physicans smarter? Where did I say anything about improving physican skills? Where did I say government take over of healthcare? Where did Obama say government takeover of healthcare? Goverment is already very involved in the healthcare delivery process in The United States.

    I said and let me repeat this for you Baron, Obama was smart to use business as his ally in reforming the heathcare system...making it more process and quality focused, using techniques used by industry to improve quality and reduce costs. That does not mean improving physican skill sets, education, etc. If fact it means reducing physcian training.

    It means structuring a medical care process/system that reduced error, costs and improves quality...not hard...not difficult...not impossible. Private enterprise has been doing it for decades.
     
  8. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    One we need better information about healthcare and healthcare delivery. Certian vested interests have thwarted transparency in this industry...like physican rating systems. The industry would like everyone to believe that quality is high no matter who or where you happen to be. So we need a better understanding of what works and what does not work...hence the provision in Obama's budget to study what works and what does not work. What is very evident to any objective observer is that the current system does not work in terms of quality or cost...from the perspective of a healthcare consumer. It certianly works if you are a physican.

    But a diagnosis error rate of 26 percent in an intensive care environment is just appauling...as cited in the previous reference. How many people are dying because of an incorrect diagnosis? How much are we paying for incorrect diagnosises? In one of the articles it noted that despite better technology, the error rate in diagnosis is still very high and it speculated that was because physicians were not using the technology correctly. Whatever the reason, we need better understanding and a better healthcare delivery structure.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2009
  9. CharonZ Registered Senior Member

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    On the primary care level? You can decrease costs, sure. But efficiency and misdiagnoses? I do not see a means how. Except of course making controls. Which means that for each diagnosis you would consult several physicians. And some specialists ideally. Other than that I do not see how you can improve diagnosis (well maybe by imposing fines for misdiagnoses, but I guess that won't work either). Primary diagnoses are often a mixture of experience and gut feeling (sometimes literally) and I really do not see a system that can improve that by a whole lot.

    Edit- well for standardized procedures (or creating standardized ones) it may actually help. I would assume that most misdiagnoses fall in the area where the symptoms are not absolutely straightforward or common.
     
  10. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    The use of standardized processes and information technology can greatly improve healthcare delivery and reduce costs. I have personally been invovled in making improvements in this kind of business...service business. I have seen it first hand. The results have been astounding and in a relatively short period of time. The same can be done in healthcare. I also have experience in healthcare, I was a Navy corpsman (independent duty) and a paramedic. So I know a bit about diagnosis.

    You want to take as much gut diagnosing out of the process as possible. For every diagnosis you want consistency and consistency of results. Too much gut is currently going into diagnosis and not enough science.
     
  11. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    Is this the same "business" that has GM, Ford, et al in the mess that it's in now? Is this the same "business" that's formed the financial system into the mess it's in now? Is this the same "business" that's been operating in this country for decades, yet Obama wants to place them all under gov controls?

    This is what you said: "...I have personally wittnessed major failures in the current system of healthcare cause by physican inability to make a correct diagnosis."

    And, this: "...because physicians cannot render a good and accurate diagnosis?"

    Obama's socialist takeover of the industry is not going to make doctors provide more accurate diagnoses ....as you've tried to imply above.

    Baron Max
     
  12. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    You are confusing strategic decision making and line manufacturing...two different things. Again, where did anyone but you and your fellow ditto heads ever say anything about "socialist takeover of the industry"? It is a right wing whacko fantasy! Do you know what socialsim is?
     
  13. Diode-Man Awesome User Title Registered Senior Member

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    I like the idea of what could be accomplished, but America must be super careful when it comes to implementing socialized monopolies.

    What would happen if all Americans and their allies decided it was time for a "jubilee," where the debts are forgiven and we sort of start over.

    What sort of solution would you implement Baron Max?
     
  14. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    Obama has stated he does not want to socialize healthcare...that would be too much and much too expensive. But he does want to restructure how healthcare is delivered and purchased. Private healthcare providers would still be privately owned.
     
  15. desi Valued Senior Member

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    Right. They will also stop ordering those unneeded tests due to this new sixth sense diagnosing power.
     
  16. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    And if that's so great for the healthcare industry, why isn't it equally great for every other industry in the nation?

    How does that ideal fit in with the Constitution and laws and rules of our federal goverment?

    Private ownership don't mean shit if the government controls his entire business operation. And if gov control is so great, why aren't you or Obama suggesting it for every single industry in the nation?

    Baron Max
     
  17. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    Socialism is taking from those who have it, then giving it to a select group who don't have it or haven't worked for it or haven't earned it. Stealing from some in order to give in unequal distribution to others.

    The USA has been creeping towards socialism for decades and it's now picking up enormous velocity with this new socialist president and the star-struck Dem congress.

    Baron Max
     
  18. desi Valued Senior Member

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    It would cut out the middle men who make a mint off of 'managing' insurance coverage. Hence, Obama can't go there.
     
  19. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    Baron, I think you better get back to bed.
     
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2009
  20. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    WRONG!!!!!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist

    It means state ownership. How can you expect to be taught lessons in the Consitution and economics when you cannot even master the meaning of words...or at least have a working knowledge of the words you use?
     
  21. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    It would be too large a task poltically and financially for any president to undertake. As you point out there are powerful poltical forces afoot with plenty of ditto head cannon fodder.

    And it would take time, time we really don't have. I think if Obama does it they way I hope, he will merge the best attributes of socialzed systems with attributes of a free market system of healthcare creating a hybrid with some of best attributes of each system...note what we have today is not a free market system of healthcare...anything but!
     
  22. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    I was just thinking .....what industry (or whatever) has the federal US government ever controlled or operated with any degree of success?

    Those here who advocate US government control and/or operation of industry surely have a long list of such endeavors as evidence of the success, right? What is your evidence of the greatness of government control and/or operations?

    Baron Max
     
  23. pjdude1219 The biscuit has risen Valued Senior Member

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    the post office
     

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