dancojgl said:
If you've ever known anyone with major medical problems, you would see that doctors are often their own worst enemy (with the exception of Thai, of course 
). They actually make a lot of mistakes, including life-threatening ones. So they are, in no small part, partly responsible for the high costs of their malpractice insurance costs.
You're joking, right?! We are OFTEN our own worst enemy?? We make A LOT of mistakes??!! Geez.
Many patients don't understand medicine...most THINK that they are doctors from their medical knowledge that they learn over the internet or from idiotic shows like, "E.R.". Little knowledge hurts sometimes.
Mistakes?? Yes, we all make mistakes...we're only human. No matter how much you study or how much you practice, there are times when you make a mistake. We always try to avoid making crucial mistakes. Do we make A LOT of mistakes?? I doubt it. If you think that we do, then YOU should become a doctor to show us what we are doing wrong.
I assume that you know someone who had a bad experience in the hospital. I am sincerely sorry about it. But, that does not mean that doctors make A LOT of mistakes or that we are part of the healthcare problem. That's a load of crap to be totally honest.
Medicine is at the frontier of human knowledge. And as such, it cannot be an exact science. Medical studies dictate how we practice in many cases (aka, evidence-based medicine, which i subscribe to). Sometimes, one study will show one thing, while later, another study show us the opposite way of doing things. For example, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was shown to be beneficial in so many ways 10 years ago. All post-menopausal women should be on it. However, as you may have heard on the news recently, HRT is now a bad thing in most cases.
BTW, i suggest that you read more about healthcare costs and malpractice insurance. Are all OB/GYNs or surgeons bad?? With your statements, they must be all bad (or make a ton of mistakes)because their malpractice is so damn high. In fact, most (if not all) Miami OB/GYN's cannot afford malpractice! Hospitals have been known to close down due to lack of doctor support. Who pays the most for this?? Who gets hurt by this?? YOU DO.
My malpractice is also high because i work in the ICU. Does that mean that I (or my colleagues) make a lot of mistakes?? Or does that mean that people have a tendency to sue me because i see sicker people (thus, worst outcomes are seen more often)?? Or the image that i have the deepest pocket?? (i don't) Or that my malpractice insurance has the deepest pocket?? (unfortunately, this is the case.) You see...the sicker people you treat, the higher the malpractice coverage (and annual bill). So, who do people sue first when a bad outcome occurs?? Actually, who do the lawyers aim first...ME.
So, why is it in my interest to try and cut healthcare cost by not practicing CYA-medicine?? Why shouldn't i order 4-5 CAT scans when one is enough?? Or how about ordering blood test as often as possible?? Or keep my patients in the ICU for 100000 years?? IT IS IN MY BEST INTEREST TO DO SO, right?? You get my point. Most doctors do this because of fear of frivolous lawsuits against them.
So, NO, DOCTORS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HEALTHCARE COST RISING.
), the phar companies are not printing money, where is the money going because costs worldwide i getting out of control??
