Excellent NYT article

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/02/he...tml?ref=health

(Registration is required, but they've always been well-behaved about it.
If you'd rather not, there's always bugmenot.com.)

(quote)
For most Americans, the biggest health threat is not avian flu, West Nile
or mad cow disease. It’s our health-care system.

You might think this is because doctors make mistakes (we do make
mistakes). But you can’t be a victim of medical error if you are not in
the system. The larger threat posed by American medicine is that more and
more of us are being drawn into the system not because of an epidemic of
disease, but because of an epidemic of diagnoses.
(end of quote)

He makes great sense, I just wish he'd documented all the assertions.
Having cites for all that in one place would be useful.

Chak

--
If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.
--Tallulah Bankhead

I didn't agree with the article at all. It seemed like the doctor
wants patients to go away, be uniformed, and shut up.
If you've ever had a chronic condition that's the attitude you do get
from them.
I want all the information possible. I think you must too, otherwise
why be in this group?


On Jan 2, 11:37 pm, Chakolate <chakolateDeathToSpamm...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/02/he...tml?ref=health
>
> (Registration is required, but they've always been well-behaved about it.
> If you'd rather not, there's always bugmenot.com.)
>
> (quote)
> For most Americans, the biggest health threat is not avian flu, West Nile
> or mad cow disease. It's our health-care system.
>
> You might think this is because doctors make mistakes (we do make
> mistakes). But you can't be a victim of medical error if you are not in
> the system. The larger threat posed by American medicine is that more and
> more of us are being drawn into the system not because of an epidemic of
> disease, but because of an epidemic of diagnoses.
> (end of quote)
>
> He makes great sense, I just wish he'd documented all the assertions.
> Having cites for all that in one place would be useful.
>
> Chak
>
> --
> If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.
> --Tallulah Bankhead

I didn't agree with the article at all. It seemed like the doctor
wants patients to go away, be uninformed, and shut up.
If you've ever had a chronic condition that's the attitude you do get
from them.
I want all the information possible. I think you must too, otherwise
why be in this group?


On Jan 2, 11:37 pm, Chakolate <chakolateDeathToSpamm...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/02/he...tml?ref=health
>
> (Registration is required, but they've always been well-behaved about it.
> If you'd rather not, there's always bugmenot.com.)
>
> (quote)
> For most Americans, the biggest health threat is not avian flu, West Nile
> or mad cow disease. It's our health-care system.
>
> You might think this is because doctors make mistakes (we do make
> mistakes). But you can't be a victim of medical error if you are not in
> the system. The larger threat posed by American medicine is that more and
> more of us are being drawn into the system not because of an epidemic of
> disease, but because of an epidemic of diagnoses.
> (end of quote)
>
> He makes great sense, I just wish he'd documented all the assertions.
> Having cites for all that in one place would be useful.
>
> Chak
>
> --
> If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.
> --Tallulah Bankhead

I didn't read it that way at all. I'm always pleased to see a doctor who
thinks that some thought should be given to whether a condition requires
treatment before jumping right in with a prescription.

I don't think he's advocating not informing patients, is he? It sounded
like he was trying to get doctors and patients both to realize that
sometimes it's better not to do anything.

Chak


"Karen" <karen.newton@gmail.com> wrote in
news:1167881954.314389.284370@q40g2000cwq.googlegr oups.com:

> I didn't agree with the article at all. It seemed like the doctor
> wants patients to go away, be uniformed, and shut up.
> If you've ever had a chronic condition that's the attitude you do get
> from them.
> I want all the information possible. I think you must too, otherwise
> why be in this group?
>
>
> On Jan 2, 11:37 pm, Chakolate <chakolateDeathToSpamm...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/02/he...tml?ref=health
>>
>> (Registration is required, but they've always been well-behaved about
>> it. If you'd rather not, there's always bugmenot.com.)
>>
>> (quote)
>> For most Americans, the biggest health threat is not avian flu, West
>> Nile or mad cow disease. It's our health-care system.
>>
>> You might think this is because doctors make mistakes (we do make
>> mistakes). But you can't be a victim of medical error if you are not
>> in the system. The larger threat posed by American medicine is that
>> more and more of us are being drawn into the system not because of an
>> epidemic of disease, but because of an epidemic of diagnoses.
>> (end of quote)
>>
>> He makes great sense, I just wish he'd documented all the assertions.
>> Having cites for all that in one place would be useful.


--
If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.
--Tallulah Bankhead