Since I’ve been rather intimately involved in healthcare for the past couple of months (with a family member in the hospital and now in a skilled nursing facility), herewith are some observations on the state of healthcare.
Nurses, technicans, and technical staff intimately involved with the patients are, for the most part, qualified, professional, caring – and overworked.
Doctors are not engaged. This is not to be taken as that they are not qualified, or professional, or caring; simply that they are not engaged with either patient or family. Visits are sporadic, unscheduled, and short – there’s never time to sit and get to know patient or family – so process overwhelms patient/family needs.
The process stinks – and that’s being kind.
Here’s an analogy: Patient and family go to a restaurant. They pay upon entering, are given a menu - of limited choice but multiple courses, order, and the order is sent to the kitchen. The kitchen is staffed by 15 chefs, who enter and leave at random, none of whom stay for more than a few minutes. Communication, if it occurs, is by “sticky note” left on the countertop. Courses are served at random, and when “time’s up” the patrons must leave, finished or not.
That, in a nutshell, is healthcare process as practiced today.
What, if anything, will change with Obamacare? My guess is that prices will go up, menu selections will become even more limited, and the maitre d’ will tell the patient/family what they can/cannot have.
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