[Link + thoughts]: "How Doctors Die"
Nov. 9th, 2012 09:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexandra_thornFor anybody who hasn't seen this article yet, I think it's a really important one to read:
http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2011/11/30/how-doctors-die/ideas/nexus/
I'd seen this article a while back, but thought of it again last night after a conversation about the "physician-assisted suicide" question that was on the Massachusetts ballot this election (it didn't quite pass). I posted the link to Facebook and among other positive responses, the idea was brought up that this article should be posted in hospitals. I completely understand the sentiment, but I also think we should be careful about making that kind of suggestion.
The person I'd been talking to about the ballot question said that she was in favor of patients and doctors being able to make these decisions in principle, but was really scared that insurance companies or (in cases of government financed insurance) would try to coerce people into ending their lives to save money. This was unfamiliar thinking to me because I've lived for so long with the absolute terror of dying in a hospital bed. After thinking for a bit about my own experiences, and remembering this article, I realized that I really don't find that particular corruption scenario plausible given our current system.
Here's why: you'd think that insurance companies would already be motivated to save money, but between pressure from Big Pharma and terror of malpractice lawsuit (and perhaps some other factors as well), it's really really hard to convince a doctor to withhold treatment. And that doesn't even touch the extremely controversial issue of deliberately ending one's own life. I have a really hard time imagining getting from this state of affairs to the corruption scenario that my friend was worried about.
However, given that there are concerns that this type of corruption does (or could in the future) exist, I think it could be dangerous for institutions such as hospitals to promote this powerful piece directly. Some people would interpret it as an effort at manipulation. Instead, I think we should be pushing for more discussion of these issues in the media and elsewhere.
What do you think?
http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2011/11/30/how-doctors-die/ideas/nexus/
I'd seen this article a while back, but thought of it again last night after a conversation about the "physician-assisted suicide" question that was on the Massachusetts ballot this election (it didn't quite pass). I posted the link to Facebook and among other positive responses, the idea was brought up that this article should be posted in hospitals. I completely understand the sentiment, but I also think we should be careful about making that kind of suggestion.
The person I'd been talking to about the ballot question said that she was in favor of patients and doctors being able to make these decisions in principle, but was really scared that insurance companies or (in cases of government financed insurance) would try to coerce people into ending their lives to save money. This was unfamiliar thinking to me because I've lived for so long with the absolute terror of dying in a hospital bed. After thinking for a bit about my own experiences, and remembering this article, I realized that I really don't find that particular corruption scenario plausible given our current system.
Here's why: you'd think that insurance companies would already be motivated to save money, but between pressure from Big Pharma and terror of malpractice lawsuit (and perhaps some other factors as well), it's really really hard to convince a doctor to withhold treatment. And that doesn't even touch the extremely controversial issue of deliberately ending one's own life. I have a really hard time imagining getting from this state of affairs to the corruption scenario that my friend was worried about.
However, given that there are concerns that this type of corruption does (or could in the future) exist, I think it could be dangerous for institutions such as hospitals to promote this powerful piece directly. Some people would interpret it as an effort at manipulation. Instead, I think we should be pushing for more discussion of these issues in the media and elsewhere.
What do you think?