Dec 16, 2022·edited Jan 12, 2023Liked by Ben Miller
As you know only too well, this is typical of most interactions with US healthcare - the feeling that you're getting pulled through ... something on a conveyor belt (my metaphor is a car wash), spit out the other end with little, or no, information yielded about what just happened. Occasionally with a largely unhelpful printout "visit summary" (if you're lucky), but paperwork is usually just an emailed receipt for your copay.
We can, and should, do better. In the 2+ decades that I've been paying close attention to the American healthcare system, that's been a universal call to action that hasn't delivered much in the way of actual *action*. Mostly just a repeating chorus of "this could be so much better."
Cui bono?
Complexity preserves system autonomy, and therefore system revenue. Innovating somebody out of their piece of the pie isn't a great way to get them to support change. Hedge funds/private equity taking over chunks of the healthcare industrial complex has been a feature of the last decade or so in the US system. That's not a great signal for end users of that system, either patients or front-line clinical folks.
Thanks for coming to my TED talk 🤣 - fixing this thorny set of problems is gonna take political will and focused determination. Not sure enough people with power/money GAF about this to the level they can actually drive change. Status quo serves up too much shareholder value 🙄
It's amazing how brazenly the system supports industry. Your experience was terrible and also the new normal. Patients are an input, and many providers behave like AI chatbots. The little bright spots of humanity keep me hopeful, but it is an enormous machine... I always enjoy your reflections!
I guess if you want same day service you have to go to the ER. Then you only have one co-pay, but your insure will have a $15,000 bill. Is this another example of misaligned incentives (by design)?
As you know only too well, this is typical of most interactions with US healthcare - the feeling that you're getting pulled through ... something on a conveyor belt (my metaphor is a car wash), spit out the other end with little, or no, information yielded about what just happened. Occasionally with a largely unhelpful printout "visit summary" (if you're lucky), but paperwork is usually just an emailed receipt for your copay.
We can, and should, do better. In the 2+ decades that I've been paying close attention to the American healthcare system, that's been a universal call to action that hasn't delivered much in the way of actual *action*. Mostly just a repeating chorus of "this could be so much better."
Cui bono?
Complexity preserves system autonomy, and therefore system revenue. Innovating somebody out of their piece of the pie isn't a great way to get them to support change. Hedge funds/private equity taking over chunks of the healthcare industrial complex has been a feature of the last decade or so in the US system. That's not a great signal for end users of that system, either patients or front-line clinical folks.
Thanks for coming to my TED talk 🤣 - fixing this thorny set of problems is gonna take political will and focused determination. Not sure enough people with power/money GAF about this to the level they can actually drive change. Status quo serves up too much shareholder value 🙄
Certainly wishing you the best in your recovery!
It's amazing how brazenly the system supports industry. Your experience was terrible and also the new normal. Patients are an input, and many providers behave like AI chatbots. The little bright spots of humanity keep me hopeful, but it is an enormous machine... I always enjoy your reflections!
I guess if you want same day service you have to go to the ER. Then you only have one co-pay, but your insure will have a $15,000 bill. Is this another example of misaligned incentives (by design)?