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| Scarborough, Ontario |
Talking about temperature, I must admit that mine increased somewhat after I came across the June 11, 2012 Time magazine edition with the words: HOW TO DIE emblazoned across the cover page.
However, as you know, things are not always what they appear to be; you see, the author (Joe Klein) simply wrote about his experiences dealing with the declining health of his parents in a nursing home that's part of the Geisinger healthcare system (remember that name 'cos it's coming to a LHIN or similar healthcare administration system near you).
The author's argument is that "fee-for-service" is destroying our healthcare systems; he continues by positing that doctors naturally gravitate towards ordering that extra test either because they can, or to mitigate the chances of a malpractice lawsuit.
However, a healthcare system can only do so much before it becomes financially unstable; where's the value in costly surgical procedures or lab tests if they do not measurably increase quality of life? This becomes especially relevant when end-of-life issues are involved.
The site Cost of care quotes from a speech given by Peter Orszag, Director of the White House Office of Management & Budget in February 19th, 2009, one that's not only pertinent to the situation in the U.S., but also in other countries.
He states:
"We seem to have as much as $700 billion a year in health care tests and services that are unnecessary, that don't improve health outcomes, and that just add to costs both for the federal government and for workers without making anyone healthier. The way to get at that has been started in the stimulus bill in which we invest [$20 billion] in health information technology, we start to better measure what works and what doesn't, and we start to pay for better care rather than more care."
The need for different types of healthcare systems such as Geisinger's is what's being alluded to by the above, perhaps with the following attributes:
- they make full use of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)
- healthcare providers are employees of the systems
- they help families make educated decisions about difficult treatment options for patients
In that vein, this article makes no claim as to the suitability of any system; what I'm hoping for is to help jam a steel-capped boot into the crack of the doorway of discussion that's been opened by this article -- may it never be closed again!
Perhaps that article should be entitled "HOW TO LIVE", since caregivers are normally the ones who have to make and live with these decisions.
If you haven't read the magazine article, I suggest you place it and this video on your reading/viewing list; you may not need to read/see it today, but tomorrow, who knows?
Until next time my friends, I wish you good health -- watch out for those barbecue flare-ups!
Ernest A. James
President & CEO
Regal Informatics Inc.
