“the best of times..the worst of times”
As 32 million more people are about to enter our healthcare reimbursement system, a range of articles in a single day’s Wall Street Journal (3/28/11) shows growing Dickensian tension between amazing high tech, low tech human contact, economics and a looming crisis:
–Intelligent LifeHabits: Nashville, home of America’s health-care industry, gets $403 million in Federal grants to “foster healthier lifestyles” with programs for walking groups and paths, smoking cessation, weight loss and education. (What’s playing in Nashville- Its got a New, Healthier Beat)
OBSERVATION– The grant program funds policy changes, rather than specific activities— I have to wonder if change for change sake is good, and if good programs will be cut)
— Fall Prevention: ATT developing “smart slippers” with pressure sensores to detect any changes in whe wearer’s gait, and signaling providers of increased fall risk or other issue. (Medicine on the move)
OBSERVATION: Someone can make alot of money selling expensive slippers—if they get covered by medicare/obamacare
–Chinese Medicine: Chinese herbal medicine being researched with bio-informatics, with focus on chronic conditions.
(Putting Traditional Chinese Medicine to Test)
OBSERVATION: Funding is hard to find for such research, as there is no Big Pharm incentive. On April 30, sales of unlicensed herbals will be banned in the EU– A race is on to demonstrate results before
–Nosocomial Infections: 31,000 deaths a year from bloodstream infections, but only 20% of hospitals have signed up with HHS program to reduce them by half. (The secret to fighting infections)
OBSERVATION: Some hospitals have infection rates 10-15x the national average, and yet there is resistance to using a simple 5 point checklist.
And my favorite..
–Prescriptions Meds: 31% of people didn’t fill a prescription, 29% stopped taking too soon, and 49% forget to take their meds. The expert opinion- getting people to change behavior is hard, but “multi-faceted programs” including education delivered by health care professionals show promise in getting people to take their meds…but that is expensive. (How can you help the medicine go down)
OBSERVATION: See Nashville item above– the dramatic tension between educating people on intelligent LifeHabits OR educating them to take their medicine will be a long running theme.
Steven Weiniger
