If we want health-care reform, we must hire more doctors, hire more medical technicians. In all the talk and all the plans and all the proposed legislation, has this been suggested?
I'm not sure but what it isn't a key to a better health-care system.
I went to the doctor today. I briefly described my problem, the doctor briefly listened, and quickly arrived at a tentative diagnosis. I left thinking what a great doctor I had happened upon, that he should be able to so quickly identify what my problem was.
But, as I thought about it later, I realized there's a lot we didn't discuss. I was there because it is becoming difficult to walk, and he hadn't even had me walk that he should observe the problem.
This is a common way with doctors' visits. Doctors whistle a patient in, do a hurried diagnosis, and then it's on to the next patient. We should have so many doctors, so many health-care workers, that each patient gets the necessary time and review.
Did I mention that it was a little difficult to find a doctor to see me quickly? They were booked a week or two into the future. If we had enough doctors, that wouldn't have been the case.
Quick access to a doctor is important. Giving doctors enough time to diagnose you is important. But, perhaps the biggest benefit to hiring more doctors is the economic impact. If we are going to operate our health-care system as a market-driven enterprise, then we surely should realize we need to re-instill the principles of economics.
Supply and demand is one of them. It goes something like this: If the market is flooded, prices go down. But, if there is a shortage, prices can skyrocket. We surely can see we have sky-high medical costs. And, we surely should see we could use more doctors. Does it not occur to us that there might be a connection?
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