The American healthcare system is notorious for being inefficient and expensive. Those who need care are forced to deal with abusive insurance companies, circumvent extra costs from providers and even avoid the medical system altogether. At the heart of this broken system lies a similarly broken relationship between doctors and their clients. Patients are not listened to within the medical system, thus shortening their lifespans and reducing quality of life.
Physicians are pressured by the current model of medicine in order to fit as many clients into their schedules as possible. Any given primary care provider is responsible for more than 2,000 patients and sees an average of 20 patients per day. They must spend an amount of time equivalent to the client’s visit filling out electronic medical records, which results in doctors multitasking during appointments to keep up with demands. The medical field’s focus is on “efficiency” and performing universal checklists and checkups rather than attending to the individual needs of the people entering their office. This means that there is not any time budgeted to consider any additional symptoms and conditions, as the person must be seen and diagnosed as quickly as possible.
Patients are also subject to inherent biases that are much more likely to cause worse outcomes, especially if their provider is not afforded the time necessary to deconstruct these schemas in the situations in which they are likely to occur. Multiple studies have shown that Black people are less likely to receive the care they need from doctors through misdiagnosis, inefficient treatments and dismissal of concerns. This results in the likelihood that people of color will be sicker and die younger than their economically and medically equivalent white counterparts. While there have been efforts to educate physicians about their negative biases, this step is not likely to make a meaningful difference if doctors do not have time to slow down and apply their training. The healthcare industry’s focus on “efficiency” over accuracy inherently makes critical thinking difficult as physicians are under constant pressure to perform.
There is a significant difference in the efficacy of healthcare when communication between physicians and their clients is prioritized. Collaboration and specialized care is not only better for patient outcomes, but can reduce the cost of yearly doctors’ visits by almost 50% in practices where individualized and focused care is emphasized. Shared treatment and an emphasis on empathy and clear communication can allow patients to feel more involved and engaged with their own care. This not only provides doctors with more information, but also makes clients more likely to adhere to treatment regimens, resulting in better outcomes.
Hospice care, in which care focuses on the accommodation of terminally ill patients, results in very high patient and family satisfaction rates. This is likely because this is one of the few forms of healthcare available in which communication between the client and the provider allows for a wide range of control over how they are being treated. The emphasis is on ensuring their comfort and dignity, as it should be for all patients whether or not they are approaching their final days.
Ultimately, medicine in America is a business first and foremost. Insurance companies are, theoretically, meant to help reduce the cost of medical treatment and provide patients with the best rates for healthcare. Instead, they use their profits to market themselves and lobby against government intervention. Consolidation among insurance companies and hospitals contribute to stagnation in the industry, and a prioritization of profits over quality of care.
Doctors caught in the crossfire are stressed and have high burnout and suicide rates. They are fighting for survival in a system that was not designed to facilitate communication between physicians and those they are meant to serve. The United States as a country must police those who profit from gatekeeping the health of our people in order for the medical industry to function as we hope it will — with empathy, humanity and kindness. Healthcare is a human right and without effective systems, people will continue to face outcomes that were easily and tragically avoidable.
