Healthcare is in crisis.  Costs are rising well ahead of inflation, and both patient and physician satisfaction is dropping.  How could this be?  Doesn’t rising healthcare costs mean more money to physicians?  Obviously not, in fact the number of primary care physicians is dropping as is the overall satisfaction of physicians with their job.
As pundits [...]

Posted in American Medicine, The Healthcare Problem 34 Comments »

A commenter on my last post wrote:
And how is the current system better for doctors than Europe’s? Why do doctors fight universal care so hard when they get a worse deal from the insurance companies than European doctors get from the governments?

I think that this is a very good point.  Clearly I was lamenting how [...]

Posted in American Medicine, Being a Doctor 9 Comments »

Dear Patients:
I know you get frustrated with our office.  We make you come in for visits when you think we should handle things over the phone.  We seem more focused on your chart sometimes than on you.  Sometimes you may even wonder if money has become more important than patients. 
To this, I say: I’m Sorry.  [...]

Posted in American Medicine 32 Comments »