Economic growth in Medicine.

[Rebiu]

This link says:

There has been no job growth outside of Medical and public employment.

Health care cost $2 trillion annually

The federal government spends $600 million annually.

 

The World Health Organization ranks the US 37 or 191 countries.

Health care is much more expensive than in Mexico who rates ahead of the US.

 

Why is health care in the US so expensive?

Why is health care so bad?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Because we go and sue for millions if our doctor gives us Tylenol instead of aspirin.

[ecoli]

Because we go and sue for millions if our doctor gives us Tylenol instead of aspirin.

 

Malpractice insuance and suits certainly plays a large part. I wonder if redefining 'malpractice' could help keep the costs of health care down or if lawyers will continue to find loopholes.

[blike]

Why is health care in the US so expensive?

I don't know why US healthcare is so "bad", but I know why it's so expensive.

[Rebiu]

Malpractice insuance and suits certainly plays a large part. I wonder if redefining 'malpractice' could help keep the costs of health care down or if lawyers will continue to find loopholes.

I am not certain about that. I know doctors say that a lot but I have yet to see numbers that are significant $2 trillion annual total.

[Rebiu]

I don't know why US healthcare is so "bad", but I know why it's so expensive.

Please do tell Why?

[blike]

I am not certain about that. I know doctors say that a lot but I have yet to see numbers that are significant $2 trillion annual total.

But you're not just paying extra so they can pay their malpractice. Your paying for that CT scan & the radiologists opinion that your primary physician knows you don't need, but needs to cover his tail in case you decide to sue him. Your paying for that nephrologist consult the internist did not need but did it anyways so that if the case went to court he wouldn't get nailed for not consulting a specialist. Physicians call it "defensive medicine", and it costs patients a lot of money.

[john5746]

http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1215/p21s01-coop.html

 

This article provides some possible answers to the costs.

 

 

As far as being bad, well you can get the best medicines and surgery in the US, but prevention is non-existent. Americans have unhealthy lifestyles, so they pop more pills and have more surgeries, which make a good living for some people, but doesn't result in healthier people.

 

I think the most cost effective thing would be to get Americans exercising, somehow.

[ecoli]

I think the most cost effective thing would be to get Americans exercising, somehow.

 

And it's not just a matter of exercise. People seem to be ignorant of all the carcinogens we are pumping into our ecosystem. We spend billions of dollars in cancer treatment, when cancer prevention is not an issue of healthcare, it's in the development of things like alternatives to chemical pesticides.

 

I'd say probably half the kids at my school are going pre-med. We are overloading the system on the treatment side, so that's were all the money is going. What we really need is more people in research and engineering.

[blike]

I'd say probably half the kids at my school are going pre-med. We are overloading the system on the treatment side, so that's were all the money is going. What we really need is more people in research and engineering.

I don't think the system is being overloaded. Though many college students start out premed, something like 75-80% don't make it. There is actually a projected physician shortage in the near future--many schools all over the country are increasing class size to help meet the demand in the next few decades.

 

But I strongly agree that there just isn't enough people in research and development in medicine. The problem is that R&D just doesn't pay enough unless you've got your MD/PhD or DO/PhD (who wants to spend that long in school?) or you teach and research.

[ecoli]

I don't think the system is being overloaded. Though many college students start out premed, something like 75-80% don't make it. There is actually a projected physician shortage in the near future--many schools all over the country are increasing class size to help meet the demand in the next few decades.

Interesting... then what do all these people wind up doing with their lives?

 

But I strongly agree that there just isn't enough people in research and development in medicine. The problem is that R&D just doesn't pay enough unless you've got your MD/PhD or DO/PhD (who wants to spend that long in school?) or you teach and research.

I don't want to spend that long in school, but I think I'd be willing to make the sacrifice if it means I'll be able to get funding more easily as a researcher.

[blike]

Interesting... then what do all these people wind up doing with their lives?

Usually something related. Some of my friends went to dental/pharm school, others went on to PhD, PA, or masters programs.

 

I don't want to spend that long in school, but I think I'd be willing to make the sacrifice if it means I'll be able to get funding more easily as a researcher.

It's also extremely competitive because there aren't that many spots. Most people who got into medical school wouldn't even qualify. Plus, the attrition rate is terrible--over half drop out of the PhD program and just finish their medical degree.

 

The MSTP (medical scientist training programs: MD/PhD or DO/PhD) programs are structured like this:

4 years undergrad

2 years medical school

2-3 years PhD depending on when you finish your thesis and defend it

2 more years medical school

3-7 year residency

_______________

That's 13-19 years of school before you're out and working as a medical scientist. If you started college when you're 18 (as I did) and went straight through, the bare minimum (highly unlikely) that you'd finish by is age 31. 16 years is more likely, which would put me at 34 before my career even got off the ground.

[Martin]

This link says:

There has been no job growth outside of Medical and public employment.

Health care cost $2 trillion annually

The federal government spends $600 million annually.

 

Rebiu, that article from Business Week was really interesting. thanks. I was glad to read it.

 

About the next thing, do you happen to have a link to the WHO ranking of health care in various countries?

 

The World Health Organization ranks the US 37 of 191 countries.

 

 

that would say what sort of measures they used

[Rebiu]

Rebiu, that article from Business Week was really interesting. thanks. I was glad to read it.

 

About the next thing, do you happen to have a link to the WHO ranking of health care in various countries?

 

 

 

that would say what sort of measures they used

Here is a link WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

ASSESSES THE WORLD'S HEALTH SYSTEMS