Cutting Health Care Costs/Restore the Humanity

AADMD INFO BLAST - FOR AADMD MEMBERS

A recent article in the New York Times (March 27, 2010, Lesley Alderman) invited select physicians to offer their advice on how to cut health care costs.  There were nine offerings ranging from the use of integrative medicine, evidence medicine, nutrition, insurance for catastrophes and changing malpractice laws.  The single "gem" was offered by Dr Edward Hallowell and I thought members of the AADMD would find it worth the two minutes to read it.
Rick Rader MD, AADMD Past President

Restore the Humanity

“What’s in jeopardy in medicine — for a host of reasons — is the human connection between doctor and patient. There are doctors in training now who do not want to do a physical exam; they just want the lab tests and the echo-cardiogram on a heart patient, for example. But the laying on of hands is a powerful tool in establishing trust and in healing. Doctors, patients and insurers alike should work together to recreate the familiarity, the warmth, the trust and the friendly alliances that used to define patient-caregiver relationships. If the health care profession would rediscover the power of the human relationship, we could bring about the kinds of lifestyle changes that would reduce disease big-time.”

Edward Hallowell, M.D., a child and adult psychiatrist practicing in New York City and Sudbury, Mass., author of “Married to Distraction” (Ballantine Books, 2010)