tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126852961571725269.post1503454658413398764..comments2024-02-24T06:25:59.743-08:00Comments on The Spine Blogger: Can Doctors Step Up to become Healthcare Innovators?Musculoskeletal Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873819014357051373noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126852961571725269.post-74767353684828465832009-08-03T18:53:48.586-07:002009-08-03T18:53:48.586-07:00Marty: Thanks for the great commentary. I hope t...Marty: Thanks for the great commentary. I hope that this blog spot serves as a medium so that other participants, than just surgeons and industry related professionals, in the healthcare debate can understand the challenges that each party faces. The Spine Bloggers objective is to provide our readers a forum where differing ideas can be disseminated to our readers not only by those of us involved with the blog, but also by our readers.Musculoskeletal Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14873819014357051373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126852961571725269.post-10686044291144996342009-08-03T07:00:24.960-07:002009-08-03T07:00:24.960-07:00This is a nice article and addresses a lot of real...This is a nice article and addresses a lot of real issues. However why do we always turn only to the physician when it comes to the cost of healthcare? I agree that they have moved into the business world and away from the true practice of medicine but is it not US that have pushed them to do so?<br /><br />How many times have you heard that "we can't afford medicine because my doctor drives a Porsche?" " we can't afford medicine because doctors are bad businessmen." <br /><br />If you look at the total joint side just 15 years ago when surgeons were receiving $5000 per procedure there was very little of the"consulting" going on and it was mostly done in the world and realm of academia. Today they get $1236 for the same procedure and suprise we now have consultants galore. <br /><br />Interestingly enough in the time that we cut this re-imbursment none of us have seen any decline in our cost of medicine only a decline in the quality. Did not Einstein say that "continuing to do the same thing but expecting different results is insanity" <br /><br />There was a reason doctors were paid well and taught little to nothing about business. We wanted to attract some of the best and brightest to be doctors and we wanted them to focus on the diagnosis and treatment of the patient not the money. <br /><br />With the majority of the cuts coming on doctors backs we now have opened the door for them to move their focus from the diagnosis and treatment over to the money or are we are getting close to having the person with the knife about to operate on us doing so because they could NOT get into business school.<br /><br />To affect real change we have to get around the strong lobbies and start to look at the REAL cost of medicine. No one seemed to take notice of how quickly the hospitals turned on the president when he discussed taking away their disproportionate payment. And how quickly they then met in private to "resolve" this without letting any of us know the solution. How long are we going to continue to reward hospitals for being bad business people? Is this not a HUGE incentive to "lose" money.<br /><br />Does this not encourage the use of funny book keeping and has this now got us to the point that most hospitals can not tell you the real cost of any procedure or service?<br /><br />Also when are we going to examine the business of having a non-proprietary status as a hospital yet hire a proprietary hospital management team. This practice has shifted a huge amount of money away from the treatment and practice of medicine right into the executives and shareholders pockets.<br /><br />Love the blog and these are just MHO.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07864359319554490731noreply@blogger.com