Comments on: Executive physicals, a $3,000 waste of time http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/10/executive-physicals-3000-waste-of-time.html medical blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:15:05 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/10/executive-physicals-3000-waste-of-time.html/comment-page-1#comment-68358 Anonymous Thu, 02 Nov 2006 00:57:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/10/executive-physicals-a-3000-waste-of-time.html#comment-68358 Back to the original comment...<br/>$3000 fishing expeditions can be a waste of time and money. But, what about a comprehensive, scientifically based medical exam with a thorough physician exam - paid for up front, without insurance involvement? All because the customer chose the service. Maybe sounds like medicine the way it used to be...<br/>Just like any other service, the buyer should do their research and seek the "best" physical exam for their dollar. However, if people were responsible for themselves and did their research then we'd be in a less pessimistic state. Back to the original comment…
$3000 fishing expeditions can be a waste of time and money. But, what about a comprehensive, scientifically based medical exam with a thorough physician exam – paid for up front, without insurance involvement? All because the customer chose the service. Maybe sounds like medicine the way it used to be…
Just like any other service, the buyer should do their research and seek the “best” physical exam for their dollar. However, if people were responsible for themselves and did their research then we’d be in a less pessimistic state.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/10/executive-physicals-3000-waste-of-time.html/comment-page-1#comment-68168 Anonymous Wed, 25 Oct 2006 04:47:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/10/executive-physicals-a-3000-waste-of-time.html#comment-68168 Dentists are pessimistic? I was thinking maybe I should have been a dentist..... Dentists are pessimistic? I was thinking maybe I should have been a dentist…..

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/10/executive-physicals-3000-waste-of-time.html/comment-page-1#comment-68167 Anonymous Wed, 25 Oct 2006 03:47:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/10/executive-physicals-a-3000-waste-of-time.html#comment-68167 Amazing the amount of pessimism I read from doctors. You'd think we were dentists. Cheer up. Tomorrow is a new day. Amazing the amount of pessimism I read from doctors. You’d think we were dentists. Cheer up. Tomorrow is a new day.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/10/executive-physicals-3000-waste-of-time.html/comment-page-1#comment-68125 Anonymous Tue, 24 Oct 2006 03:46:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/10/executive-physicals-a-3000-waste-of-time.html#comment-68125 Depends on whether shareholders lose money; could be a class action. Depends on whether shareholders lose money; could be a class action.

]]> By: Diora http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/10/executive-physicals-3000-waste-of-time.html/comment-page-1#comment-68124 Diora Tue, 24 Oct 2006 03:40:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/10/executive-physicals-a-3000-waste-of-time.html#comment-68124 Actually, I do watch TV. Just skip commercials - except for those with cute kitties and puppies. <br/> <br/>I thought this thread was about executive physicals and not lawsuits... It's not like you are going to be sued if a CEO misses an executive physical, is it? Actually, I do watch TV. Just skip commercials – except for those with cute kitties and puppies.

I thought this thread was about executive physicals and not lawsuits… It’s not like you are going to be sued if a CEO misses an executive physical, is it?

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/10/executive-physicals-3000-waste-of-time.html/comment-page-1#comment-68077 Anonymous Sun, 22 Oct 2006 22:25:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/10/executive-physicals-a-3000-waste-of-time.html#comment-68077 "Also, not every asymptomatic cancer is going to spread, and not every cancer can be cured if detected early. "<br/><br/>You obviously don't watch enough TV. Anybody who is home at Noontime and watches Soap operas has seen the Sodomite Commercials: "My doctor missed my cancer. I had to undergo chemo and radiation. Jim Sokolove will make him pay. "<br/><br/>None of us want to be that doctor. Sorry if the truth hurts. “Also, not every asymptomatic cancer is going to spread, and not every cancer can be cured if detected early. “

You obviously don’t watch enough TV. Anybody who is home at Noontime and watches Soap operas has seen the Sodomite Commercials: “My doctor missed my cancer. I had to undergo chemo and radiation. Jim Sokolove will make him pay. “

None of us want to be that doctor. Sorry if the truth hurts.

]]> By: Diora http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/10/executive-physicals-3000-waste-of-time.html/comment-page-1#comment-68075 Diora Sun, 22 Oct 2006 22:17:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/10/executive-physicals-a-3000-waste-of-time.html#comment-68075 <i>We all know that patient that had the CT for one condition that serendipitously revealed the unrelated asymptomatic cancer before it was too late.</i><br/>Except for for every person whose life might be saved, more may be harmed. <br/>Tests have false positives that lead to more invasive tests and these tests may have serious risks. <br/><br/>Also, not every asymptomatic cancer is going to spread, and not every cancer can be cured if detected early. You don't know if in a particular case early detection would make a difference or if it would cause you to suffer side effects of treatment unnecessarily; or if it would just prolong the time you know you have cancer with the same end result. This is why evidence matters. <br/><br/>And one other thing. If a CEO pays for these things with his own money - it's his choice and his right. If he takes company money - there better be evidence that it is cost-effective. Otherwise, why should shareholders (or employees) pay for a CEO's executive physical? <br/><br/><i>When I have a concern about loss of life or limb, I want it checked out, even it it is at my expense. </i><br/>Obviously if you have a reason to be concerned you want to investigate it. This is about symptomless people. We all know that patient that had the CT for one condition that serendipitously revealed the unrelated asymptomatic cancer before it was too late.
Except for for every person whose life might be saved, more may be harmed.
Tests have false positives that lead to more invasive tests and these tests may have serious risks.

Also, not every asymptomatic cancer is going to spread, and not every cancer can be cured if detected early. You don’t know if in a particular case early detection would make a difference or if it would cause you to suffer side effects of treatment unnecessarily; or if it would just prolong the time you know you have cancer with the same end result. This is why evidence matters.

And one other thing. If a CEO pays for these things with his own money – it’s his choice and his right. If he takes company money – there better be evidence that it is cost-effective. Otherwise, why should shareholders (or employees) pay for a CEO’s executive physical?

When I have a concern about loss of life or limb, I want it checked out, even it it is at my expense.
Obviously if you have a reason to be concerned you want to investigate it. This is about symptomless people.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/10/executive-physicals-3000-waste-of-time.html/comment-page-1#comment-68063 Anonymous Sun, 22 Oct 2006 18:40:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/10/executive-physicals-a-3000-waste-of-time.html#comment-68063 And you wonder why the country is going broke from escalating health care expenditure.<br/><br/><br/>It's going broke because you've created physicians like me, who tomorrow morning will be deciding whether patients need that defensive menaingless CT scan and chest pain admission, all the while my mind actually on my next court deposition, for even more meaningless, outcome based, greed-induced bullshit. And you wonder why the country is going broke from escalating health care expenditure.

It’s going broke because you’ve created physicians like me, who tomorrow morning will be deciding whether patients need that defensive menaingless CT scan and chest pain admission, all the while my mind actually on my next court deposition, for even more meaningless, outcome based, greed-induced bullshit.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/10/executive-physicals-3000-waste-of-time.html/comment-page-1#comment-68062 Anonymous Sun, 22 Oct 2006 17:53:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/10/executive-physicals-a-3000-waste-of-time.html#comment-68062 This has nothing to do with "going broke". Quite the contrary. Such discretionary dollars help offset the unreimbursed dollars lost to bad debt and capricious insurance contracts. This has nothing to do with “going broke”. Quite the contrary. Such discretionary dollars help offset the unreimbursed dollars lost to bad debt and capricious insurance contracts.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/10/executive-physicals-3000-waste-of-time.html/comment-page-1#comment-68054 Anonymous Sat, 21 Oct 2006 22:27:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/10/executive-physicals-a-3000-waste-of-time.html#comment-68054 I love it. $25 k for a vertigo work-up and a prescription for Antivert! Just like for the average Joe in a walk-in clinic- minus $24,850, that is.<br/><br/>And you wonder why the country is going broke from escalating health care expenditure. I love it. $25 k for a vertigo work-up and a prescription for Antivert! Just like for the average Joe in a walk-in clinic- minus $24,850, that is.

And you wonder why the country is going broke from escalating health care expenditure.

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