The Treatment Trap

Author Rosemary Gibson, MD details the ills of the US healthcare system in her new book The Treatment Trap:



She spoke July 26th, 2010 at St. Peter's Healthcare System which was aired on C-Span 2 on September 5th, 2010 at 10:30am EST.

Here are some of her discussion points from her book:

• Those who speak out against medical over-treatment risk being labelled, in this current political climate, as "rationing". Dr. Gibson speaks of over-treatment from a quality perspective, however, not from a financial perspective.
• High-technology may not be the solution. Even Electronic Medical Records (EMR), the "savior" of modern healthcare, may not always deliver what it promises.
• Obama's failure to implement tort reform with healthcare reform saddles doctors with a "fear factor" which drives wasteful medical spending.
• The "fear factor" produces a "wall of silence" among doctors that perpetuate medical errors and prevents learning.
• Palliative care produces better outcomes than expensive, high-risk, end-of-life care that often leaves the patient worse off.

This book is targeted to patients as well as non-policymaking practitioners. Dr Gibson presents "Twenty Ways to Protect Yourself" as practical advice for patients trying to negotiate American healthcare.

Perhaps one of her statements made in front of the TV camera provided me with the most compelling reason to order this book:

"Health insurance used to be about giving patients access to providers.
Now, it's about giving providers access to patients".