At the end of each day I spend with patients I ask myself, "What did I learn today?"

Ok, so I actually ask myself this every day.

But patient days tend to be special. These are the days that I have one-on-one interactions with a series of individuals who have agreed to let me into their lives in a particularly intimate manner.

In the almost-sixteen years since I earned my medical degree from the University of Vermont, I have learned much from individuals such as these.

What I am learning lately is that we, as physicians, are failing our patients.

This is a harsh statement, I realize.

And one I do not put out there without much forethought.

I have a great deal of respect for my fellow physicians. Obtaining a medical degree, and working in a medical practice, is no easy feat.

I've done it--am doing it. I know.

Yet there has become an enormous disconnect between physicians and patients--one that can't help but have a negative impact on medical care.

Many physicians no longer have the time to spend dealing with complex patient issues. They are trapped in an inefficient, antiquated system that distances them from the very people they had once hoped to treat. 

They spend numerous hours battling with insurance companies, digging out from under paperwork and tedium, and working with restrictions ad nauseum.

Even the best doctors (of which I know many) are finding themselves overwhelmed by the situation at hand.

Physicians are so discouraged by the demands of the profession that when potential medical students approach them looking for counsel, they tell these would-be doctors not to bother.

They suggest that anything other than medicine might be a more worthwhile career.

I've seen this happen, repeatedly.

I've also seen the ramifications of this on patient care. My own patients, who tend to be a healthy and motivated group, have shared endless stories reflecting the complete brokenness of the medical establishment.

Who can solve this problem? No one person, clearly.

It will take the efforts of many.

And I hope that leading the charge will be the group of which I proudly am a part.

We physicians are a smart, motivated, hard-working and caring bunch.

Patients trust us with the most intimate aspects of their lives.

We must trust, and value, the insights our patients offer in return.

Comments

[Wellolistic Com]

I know many Americans think that we Canadians are a bunch of left wing socialists who think government should run everthing but if you consider the amount of insurance paperwork you so called free enterprise Docs have to complete compared to the small amount required in Canada. This leaves more time for patient care and more free time for the doctor. Maybe he or she could spend more time with their family? What a novel idea. The Canadian doctors still work extremely hard, with long hours, as independent medical practitioners. (they are most definitely not state employees) and really don't have much of a real lifestyle since they may have money but no real time to enjoy it.
So why do doctors do this? They do it because they are called to do it. It's a vocation not a job, a calling not a career- Sometimes a thankless one but surely one that should be free of all the bureaucratic forms, rules, and questions that both the doctors and patients have to answer for the insurance companies.. You may not have a government health care plan but you sure have a corporate one. Does any down in the States get to vote or a say on what a corporation does (except for the few stockholders) In Canada, there are 10 Provincial governments and one federal government that must go to the polls every few years to be held accountable to the people. Health care is always a key issue and governments have to listen to the people. Corporate health care is beyond the reach of the electorate, beyond the reach of real people. The bottom line is money not good health care.
The US health system is better than it used to be but it sure has a long way to go. If enough doctors like you protest the system, things will change. Doctors are the central focus, the pivotal point in health care. You have power which you have not used but you could. Time Magazine made this the Year of The Protester. It is not too late for the medical community to demand change leading to better health care for all. Go get them Dr Lisa.