Another missive from the same correspondent on this long running subject :
Yes, we do spend too much on end of life care, very often to the detriment and discomfort of the patient! Some of that is driven by the system about which I complain — more profits are to be had by all that excessive treatment, and it also does a better job of avoiding law suits over not doing enough. (Clearly the American public is at fault here, too, for their warped expectations, but I’d also argue that some of those expectations were created by profit-minded health care marketing.)
I would prefer to think the American public are adults, although given how we abuse ourselves I might be hard-pressed to defend the assertion. Nevertheless, brain-washing charges are difficult to uphold on the large scale implied here, and I should like to think it’s less Big Pharma and more simply our national culture to fight for everything we can.
I didn’t delve into this issue, but I am well aware of it. I only used a broadside against Big Pharma because they are so plainly wrong and greedy. But yes, there are plenty of drivers to our high costs. Big Pharma and excessive end of life care are definitely 2 of the largest ones. I’m really busy these days, but maybe if I get motivated I’ll try to look up some of my sources (e.g. articles written by doctors themselves in The Atlantic, etc.). I can’t promise anything. Oh, and how are my bonafides not applicable? The point is, I’m far better informed on the subject than the vast majority of the population, both from job experience and personal research and interest in the subject.
Working in a highly technical position within an industry doesn’t make one an expert on the moral issues of that industry – it can give one special access, but not everyone takes advantage of it. That’s why I didn’t really care about those particular bona-fides – I worked in one of the earliest HSM shops, but today I don’t have an opinion on HSMs; I don’t even know if they’re still in use.
But participating in round tables with experts … that’s interesting. So long as the experts don’t turn out to be Dick Morris.
