How can we as a community and as a Nation do the most good?
Where is the health care dollar being spent? Where should it be spent? Where is our best return on our investment?
A recent study published in the American Journal of Medicine “Hospital Computing and the Costs and Quality of Care: A National Study” conducted by David U. Himmelstein, MD,(a) Adam Wright, PhD,(b) and Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH (a) …
(a) Department of Medicine, Cambridge Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Mass;
(b) Clinical Informatics Research and Development, Partners Healthcare System, Boston, Mass.
… concluded that “Whatever the explanation, as currently implemented, health information technology has a modest impact on process measures of quality, but no impact on administrative efficiency or overall costs. Predictions of cost-savings and efficiency improvements from the widespread adoption of computers are premature at best.”
http://www.amjmed.com/webfiles/images/journals/ajm/AJM10662S200.pdf
As Lucas Mearian points out in his November 30, 2009 article in Computerworld, (This study of 4,000 hospital systems) “…comes as the federal government prepares to begin dispensing $19 billion in incentives for the health industry to roll out electronic health records systems. Beginning in 2011, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act will provide incentive payments of up to $64,000 for each physician who deploys an electronic health records system and uses it effectively.”
THESE are the times that try men's souls.[i]
And yet another study recently published by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)/World Cancer Research Fund and recently shared in the Sunday, December 13, 2009 Parade Magazine, StayHealthy column by Dr. Ranit Mishori, confirms that a healthy lifestyle has a dramatic impact on breast cancer.[ii]
This study concludes that “Women can cut their risk of breast cancer by almost half if they watch their weight, exercise daily, breast-fee their babies, and limit alcoholic beverages.” Dr. Mishori also quotes Susan Higginbotham, the director of research at AICR, as stating: “We estimate that almost 40% of breast cancer cases in the U.S. – about 70,000 cases a year – could be prevented by making these straightforward, everyday changes.”
Where is the health care dollar being spent? Where should it be spent? Where is our best return on our investment?
How can we as a community and as a Nation do the most good?
Should we be spending our health care dollar on what is typically considered “innovative and sexy and fundable”…more and more technology? Or should we focus more of our attention and more of our funding on Lifestyle, Nutrition and Exercise (creating models that allow for relationship and trust between a patient and physician to be developed and a system that promotes ample time for engagement and true learning’s to occur specific to lifestyle changes, improving nutrition and exercising appropriately)?
Based on the two studies shared above the answer is clear.
(The challenge before) is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. I see no real cause for fear. I know our situation well, and can see the way out of it.[iii]
This is the time to reset our priorities. Will it be easy? No. This is the time to truly focus on improving the health and lives of individuals, of our communities and our Nation. Can we? Yes. Together we have the opportunity to change the focus of where we spend our health care funding to one that will do the most good. Reprioritizing our health care spending with a renewed focus on improving lifestyle, nutrition and exercise will have significant benefit on the health of our Nation and our Nation’s citizens and will significantly decrease our health expense trend line both short and long-term.
THESE are the times that try men's souls. I see no real cause for fear. I know our situation well, and (WE) can see the way out of it.[iv]
[i] Excerpt from The Crisis written by Thomas Paine,(1737-1809).
[ii] International panel of experts from leading universities and research centers reviewed more than 900 studies of the links between diet, physician activity, and weight in cancer prevention.
[iii] Excerpt from The Crisis written by Thomas Paine,(1737-1809).
[iv] Excerpt from The Crisis written by Thomas Paine,(1737-1809).