Comments on: Val Jones: How not to revolutionize healthcare

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:18:00 +0000

You’re suggesting better mental health coverage, but if fragmentation of care is a primary cause along with a lack of mental health coverage, wouldn’t improved primary care be a better solution? Primary care has gotten the short end of the stick. Although an involved primary care doc sees the whole patient and all treatments, reimbursement has gone down, so those PCPs that are out there can’t spend the requisite time to understand the entire patient and treatment spectrum. Furthermore, the system has started to shortcut the PCP, because of poor communication mechanisms among specialists and PCPs.

By: Moof

Moof — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:21:00 +0000

“She went on to say that “nurses needed to become outspoken” in order to eliminate barriers to advanced practice, suggesting that they should have decision-making authority equal to physicians in the ICU setting.”

Shades of the NHS … (

By: Sara E Anderson

Sara E Anderson — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:48:00 +0000

Misdiagnosis is not just a delusion. Plenty suffer because no one actually knows what they can do about their illness, or even what it is.

Dr. Dinosaur really has the right angle on this, I think.

People are a attracted to simple solutions to big, complicated problems. "Oh, so I just need to stop eating gluten!" A good example of intelligent people getting sucked into what I might call medical conspiracy theories is Linus Pauling going gaga for vitamin C. He wasn't an idiot. You don't have to be a moron to be wrong. We've all lived in bodies our entire lives, so we feel like we know a lot about them.

People aren't ever going to be happy - they're always going to get sick, and at least some of the time stump the doctors.

By: Norman

Norman — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:02:00 +0000

When I worked in Rx sales I often thought, that when I retired I would get a job in the health food/supplement industry. I could then “help” the patient with their needs. And who better than someone that sold “poison” for 27 years. I could make all sorts of claims, not having to worry about that pesky FDA. I can just visualize all of that money rolling in.

By: Nurse K

Nurse K — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:50:00 +0000

In my nursing program, we were expected to learn and understand the basics of bizarre things like Reikki and Healing Touch with the understanding that it “helps” people.

Nurses needs to back away from crayzee stuff like this and not think of it as some way to become an independent practitioner. Makes us look bad.

By: dr_dredd

dr_dredd — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:36:00 +0000

I think part of the reason we’re seeing this is that the country in general has become more anti-intellectual over the years. Physicians with their many years of school and training, are met with suspicion because of their “ivory-tower” ways. Bring in an alternative practitioner who can create a placebo response, and that’t it.

It’s akin to what I observed in the debates. We don’t appeal to “Joe Six-pack.”

By: NurseExec

NurseExec — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:18:00 +0000

Excellent post! It’s my hope that with Mental Health Parity finally a reality, that more people WILL be able to access mental health care. Thanks for your commentary

By: #1 Dinosaur

#1 Dinosaur — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:14:00 +0000

Well said. Of course, I already said it, way back on 8/9/07. Sad that it needs to be said over and over.

By: Dr. Val

Dr. Val — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:10:00 +0000

Please note that I wrote this reader take just prior to the news about the bailout plan including better coverage for mental health services. I guess I wasn’t the only one who felt the way I do! See this article in the NYT for more information:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/washington/06mental.html?hp