In all of the discussions about the Affordable Care Act and how to rein in the escalating cost of medical care in this country, no one seems to mention the need for patients to become more informed and to take more responsibility for their own health.
Greed, ego, lack of time or even discouragement with human nature can drive physicians to prescribe a pill or recommend surgery when a discussion about losing weight or quitting smoking might make more sense. But doctors have told me they’re not reimbursed for the time it takes to educate patients, and too often, patients want an easy fix.
Add to that the influence of pharmacy sales reps and the fear of malpractice, resulting in prescriptions for drugs that might be questionable and extra tests ordered simply to cover the doctor in case of legal trouble down the road.
Medicine’s not an exact science, either. What works for one patient may not work for another. A former dean of the medical school at the University of Missouri in Columbia where I once worked liked to say, “It’s called the practice of medicine for a reason.”
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