From time to time on Neurosurgery Blog you will see us cross-posting or linking to pieces from other places when we believe they really hit the mark on an issue. Today’s post originally appeared in the Opinion section of The Washington Post and is authored by Charles Krauthammer, the American Association of Neurological Surgeon’s 2015 Cushing Orator. The op-ed makes the case that the never-ending regulatory burdensome environment in which doctors are forced practice is degrading medicine. To read the full post, click here.
Cross Post – Why Doctors Quit
2 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
About six years ago I had a debate with another neurointensivist regarding the value of the EHR. I wasn’t smart enough to predict all the truly awful things that have come to pass with the EHR mandate, but I did state that I was willing to bet that we would spend enormous amounts of time, effort and capital and not begin to realize the benefits that were promised. My opponent responded with the usual condescension, implying that I was just too old-fashioned and slow witted to appreciate the brave new world ahead of us.
Like so many other changes in the health care system, I think that the EHR mandate had little or nothing to do with improving quality or controlling costs. It had (and has) everything to do with control. It is easier to control 5000 hospitals than 1,000,000 physicians, so we create a system that drives physicians to hospital employment. It is easier to control 100 health systems than 5000 hospitals, so we are being driven to merger madness. The EHR may not help us care for our patients, but it does let our overseers know everything we do, every order we place, every hour of every day. We are being herded and you know where herded animals usually go.
Robert E. Harbaugh, MD
Bullseye!
Carlos David, MD