Experts Blame Doctors

Experts often sound out of touch.

A well known doctor said,

“…and frankly, when they [patients] are admitted to hospital 4 and 5 and 6 times a year, often it’s because people like me aren’t doing a good enough job of keeping them out of hospital and managing their illness well in the community.”

~48:45 start Bending the Healthcare Cost Curve

That seems strong.

  • How often do patients suffer because docs aren’t doing a “good enough” job?
  • Should the CPSO punish doctors if patients end up in hospital?

Michael Decter thinks so. The former DM of Health in Ontario said this about diabetes care,

Continue reading “Experts Blame Doctors”

Does the Public Hate Doctors?

As usual, my best ideas come from readers. After my last post, Fees Drive Quality, Incomes Drive Envy, someone wrote:

“Trust me, if the Toronto Star did not get lots of mileage/sales and clicks from their articles about doctors, they wouldn’t keep beating this horse.

The problem is with the public that ‘consumes’ these stories about our profession.

Doctors are nothing more than free, taken for granted, envied and hated pieces of garbage who make too much money no matter what it is because…well…because they are doctors.”

He has a point. Why is doctor bashing so popular?

Do Toronto Star readers despise doctors and look to consume all the hateful, spiteful news they can find? Continue reading “Does the Public Hate Doctors?”

Fees Drive Service, Incomes Drive Envy

A Toronto Star journalist has been gunning to expose the highest billing doctors‘ incomes in Ontario for a few years.

She champions transparency. Voters have rights.

Doctors get paid with tax dollars; ergo, voters have a right to know.

But is this really about transparency?

Transparency cannot explain a hunt for the top 100 billers. Transparency might fuel a drive to go after all doctors, but not the 100.

Other than envy, or inciting envy to sell papers, what can explain the Toronto Star spending years on lawyers to expose the top 100?

Obsession with incomes fits with a particular political vision. It cares less about bad care than care being equally bad. Continue reading “Fees Drive Service, Incomes Drive Envy”