Unnecessary Medicine

I watched an interesting specil on C-Span in which a medical correspondent (and Biologist) compared costs and treatments from different hospitals around the country. Then she compared the overall results from each. Besides being slightly inferred, as true results are sometimes hard to explain (sometimes chance plays a part, as in the case where someone survives a condition against all odds), the results were interesting.

She compared two hospitals, UCLA and the Mayo Clinic. Specifically, she compared the same cancer treatments for each, and then analyzed the results. Patients at UCLA spent approximately $108,000 on a two year plan while patients at the Mayo Clinic spent $36,000 for the same plan. How can they be so radically different?

The answer lies in the outcome. Patients at UCLA received far more screenings, specialist visits, MRI's, and testing. But in the end patients at UCLA fared no better than those at the Mayo Clinic, who spent one third of the cost.

I see the same thing when I go to my yearly physical. Some people feel they need constant care. That every ache and pain should be treated with medicing. I've seen elderly people taking upwards of twenty pills a day, all for different symptoms. How do these drugs interact with each other? People want instant gratification, when what most people need is a good assessment from their primary physician. Lose some weight. Exercise more often and limit your salt and sugar intake. Once you've established a healthier physique, then look at specific problems. I heard a local talk radio host debating a representative of the Candadian Health Care Organization. His argument was that Americans shouldn't have to wait for a hip or knee replacement surgery. Her argument was they should first adhere to some sort of physical requirement. If the patient is fifty pounds overweight and you replace the hip, they are just going to wear out the new hip. Why should we finance the bad behavior of others?

It all boils down to America's mentality of instant gratification, coupled with the Pharmaceutical Industry's control of the market. We've allowed eighty percent of the country's research and development to be funded by the industry. No wonder we see ad after ad for "Natural Male Enhancement," while many debilitating diseases and injuries are all but ignored.