Health Care

A couple thoughts:
1. The problem with health care reform advocates in this country is they fail to do what the pharmaceutical industry does so well: convince people first they have a problem -- ever seen those commercials telling people about a disease, such as, "Do your legs ever become numb? You may have peripheral vascular disease. Talk to your doctor," and the commercial ends without advertising a drug. It just states a horrible problem. Then, months later, after those adds have shown on several occasions, the next wave begins, in which the solution ("Plavix, an anti-thrombotic for vasculopaths.") is presented.
2. People don't get it: the government has been picking up the tab, in numerous difficult-to-define ways, for health care. Reform is just about trying to lower the bar bill. Get people to drink cheap beer instead of the top shelf stuff. No fancy soft-shelled crab. It's going to be happy hour pub grub, budweiser, some chips and salsa, and a pie for dessert. Still pretty good. Gets the job done. And doesn't bankrupt the country...we'll get there, and if I get paid less for it, that's OK.

why to not be obsessed with jobs

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1204891?query=featured_home

a very sensible and economical argument behind the misguided obsession with healthcare "jobs."

The graph says it all

Hospital costs soaring, mortality rates in-hospital holding steady. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1202628

fish oil fail

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1203859?query=featured_home

guess the fish oil craze isn't all that it was billed to be...

One of those days

Today:

1. When I arrived this morning, I learned a favorite patient of mine died last night, somewhat unexpectedly.

2. I had to help break devastating news to a patient.

3. Clinic was a downer, with more sad stories...

And yet, I still love what I'm doing.

What's the question?

Knowing the question is the key to calling a consult.