What We Can Learn from the French
November 20, 2009
by Peter Bongiorno ND, LAc and Pina LoGiudice ND, LAc (www.InnerSourceHealth.com)
Health care reform - the topic of the day. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the US stands at 37th in terms of quality health care (between Slovenia and Costa Rica), even though we pay more than 2.5 times in health care per person (1). Properly used medications are the fourth leading cause of death (2).
Some kind of change is needed. Unfortunately, it looks like the major players involved in making the change (pharmaceutical companies, the American Medical Association, and the government) are unfortunately looking only to change some economics, as opposed to improving the quality of care. As a result, drugs are still the focus, and pharmaceutical prices are being raised now, in anticipation of health change and loss of profit. This avarice may add more than $10 billion to the nation's drug bill, which is on track to exceed $300 billion this year (3).
Usually, when you want to learn to do something well, it is always a good idea to look to who is doing it best. Well, according to the WHO (not the 60's rock band), France leads the world in quality of health care. Their system of integrative care (using natural and complementary medicines along with conventional diagnostics) seems to be a good model from which we can learn.
We can all try to get out there and tell our government's legislators to start learning from those who are doing it best, instead of simply catering to those with investment in the status quo.
references:
1. 21 June, in The World Health Report 2000
2. Jason, et al. Incidence of Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitalized Patients, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Vol. 279. April 15, 1998, pp. 1200-05.
3. Wilson D. NY Times Rising Prices of Drugs Lead to Call for Inquiry. Nov 18, 2009.
by Peter Bongiorno ND, LAc and Pina LoGiudice ND, LAc (www.InnerSourceHealth.com)
Health care reform - the topic of the day. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the US stands at 37th in terms of quality health care (between Slovenia and Costa Rica), even though we pay more than 2.5 times in health care per person (1). Properly used medications are the fourth leading cause of death (2).
Some kind of change is needed. Unfortunately, it looks like the major players involved in making the change (pharmaceutical companies, the American Medical Association, and the government) are unfortunately looking only to change some economics, as opposed to improving the quality of care. As a result, drugs are still the focus, and pharmaceutical prices are being raised now, in anticipation of health change and loss of profit. This avarice may add more than $10 billion to the nation's drug bill, which is on track to exceed $300 billion this year (3).
Usually, when you want to learn to do something well, it is always a good idea to look to who is doing it best. Well, according to the WHO (not the 60's rock band), France leads the world in quality of health care. Their system of integrative care (using natural and complementary medicines along with conventional diagnostics) seems to be a good model from which we can learn.
We can all try to get out there and tell our government's legislators to start learning from those who are doing it best, instead of simply catering to those with investment in the status quo.
references:
1. 21 June, in The World Health Report 2000
2. Jason, et al. Incidence of Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitalized Patients, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Vol. 279. April 15, 1998, pp. 1200-05.
3. Wilson D. NY Times Rising Prices of Drugs Lead to Call for Inquiry. Nov 18, 2009.
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11:27 AM
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