Wrong diagnoses are killing patients

Several years ago there was a 2 week strike by doctors in Italy. During that 2 weeks the national death rate HALVED.

What about mistakes at you local pharmacy?

Miller
Miller, a pharmacy mistake last year nearly killed my son.

BumbleBeeBoogie

Adamanta
Adamanta, welcome to Able2Know, glad to have you here.

I thought you might be interested in the following piece I wrote many years ago trying to warn the public about the deteriortation of quality health care.

When I was a representative of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists during the 1970s and 80s, I wrote this in 1979 to alert the public to the risks associated with HMO health care cost containment policies.
---BBB

SCHUBERT'S COST-CONTAINED UNFINISHED SYMPHONY;
A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON HEALTH CARE REFORM
By BumbleBeeBoogie

Have you ever wondered what would happen to the quality of your medical care under a draconian rationing program in your health plan? Let's look at it another way. Imagine, if you can, how a Bach fugue would sound with a harmonica instead of a pipe organ; a Sousa march without a booming tuba; or the Beatle's without Ringo's throbbing drum beat. Would the quality of the music be affected? Would you want to listen to it? Now, apply these examples to understand what could happen to the quality of medical care under the cost-containment goals of a health plan. Imagine Schubert's Unfinished Symphony as it would be performed by a civic orchestra under these circumstances.

The following memo from the symphony's treasurer may make you sick---but with laughter:

Under the Symphony's new cost-containment program, the attendance of the orchestra conductor will be unnecessary for public performances. The orchestra musicians obviously are required to practice. They have the conductor's prior authorization to play the symphony at a predetermined cadence and at an expected level of quality. Considerable money will be saved by merely having the conductor critique the orchestra's performance during a retrospective peer review meeting.

For considerable periods, the four oboe players have nothing to do. Reducing their numbers and spreading their work over the whole orchestra will eliminate peaks and valleys of activity.

Dispensing with either the snare drums or the kettle drums will eliminate an obvious redundancy and still produce the needed cadence for the musicians.

All twelve violin players produce identical notes with identical motions, an unnecessary duplication. The violin section will be drastically cut, resulting in substantial savings. Electronic amplification, with its high reproductive quality, may be used if more sound volume is desirable.

Much effort is expended by the musicians playing 16th notes, or semi-quavers, an excessive refinement. Most listeners can't distinguish such rapid playing. All notes will be rounded up to the nearest 8th. When this is done, it will be possible to use trainee musicians without loss of quality.

No useful purpose is served by repeating with horns, the same passage already played by the strings. Elimination of all redundant passages, as determined by a cost-containment committee, will reduce the concert from two hours to twenty minutes. A great savings in salaries and overhead will be achieved. In fact, if Schubert had attended to these matters on a cost-containment basis, he probably would have been able to finish his symphony.

Wilso: that is amazing and not at the same time .. scary!!!

Miller: exactly .. not to mention the problems caused by a doctor that cannot be bothered to print the Rx neatly to make sure the patient gets the correct meds and dosage!!

BumbleBeeBoogie: Thanks for the welcome!

How awful for you and your son, I hope he recovered fully!

Thanks also for that article, it illustrates the situation perfectly as well as the fact that those issues obviously do not matter to those that run insurance companies, HMO etc. As they cannot help but be aware of these facts it is obvious that their profits are what's important. Not really all that surprising as well as we all know the driving force of our society is money and power and those that have it lust for more on the backs of the rest of us.

Again I am grateful that I have had very few medical problems but as I head into my 40's I can't help but worry. Not to mention that my mother in her 60's will most likely have medical issues for us to deal with sooner or later. I pray that we are able to get her the best care if and when that time comes. What really scares me is that .. how will I really know!!!!

Re: Miller


I truly believe you!