How We Do Harm: Dr. Otis Brawley

Описание: Spotlight on Public Policy: Healthcare today from a Physician's Perspective

"Medical gluttony, the inappropriate use and overuse of medical treatment,
is not just adding unnecessary cost to health care. It can actually be harmful to the individual." -- Dr. Otis Brawley

Dr. Otis Brawley has a unique perspective on the state of healthcare in this country. As the chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society and an oncologist who treats patients at a largest public hospital in the US, he is alarmed about the state of healthcare in America. The CMC forum on May 14 will feature Dr. Brawley who will share his concerns about America's failing healthcare system.
His book, "How We Do Harm, A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick in America," offers examples of the inequities of the healthcare system in this country. Brawley illustrates tremendous disparity in healthcare including biases of race inherent in patient treatment. He is concerned that healthcare expenditures, which currently consume 18% of GDP in the US, will grow to 25% by the year 2020. Yet, the increased expense does not necessarily lead to better care and improved outcomes for the patients.
Heathcare is big business and Brawley concedes that hospitals, doctors, pharmaceutical manufacturers and insurance companies all deserve to be paid, but not at the expense, or more accurately, the over expense, of a patient's well-being. He offers examples of patients who received poor treatment at both ends of the economic spectrum. He notes how poor, uninsured patients are often fearful of going to a doctor because they are afraid of financial consequences Therefore they don't receive treatment until an emergency arises lessening the positive outcome for recovery and increasing the overall cost. At the other extreme, Brawly shares examples of wealthy patients who have "gold plated" insurance cards who had experiences where medical professionals took advantage of their insurance company's willingness to cover unnecessary or even dangerous procedures.
Brawley's conclusion is a call for rational healthcare based on scientifically proven results. For patients, he recommends careful consideration before taking the latest new pill or test without the science to back it up. For doctors, he reminds them primum non nocere -- first do no harm.