[NEMDF]

Thank you for your perspective. Your remarks are very telling. You are correct that hospitals put a huge emphasis on giving “care” that will win “excellent” ratings on the patient feedback surveys.

Also, from my own limited experience and observation, many are pressured to “up sell” for more and more treatments and tests (sore back = referral to spine surgeon; slow adjustment to new glasses prescription = referral to ophthalmologist surgeon; bad heartburn one episode only = referral for battery of GI tests.... and so on). I realize some of this is due to fears of malpractice accusations and lawsuits, but also I think some of it is to keep people trapped in a long-term diagnosis and treatment program, which may be really unnecessary.

Just my thoughts.

[kaila]

The referrals are to get you out the door feeling like you got good care, and then the Press Gainey scores will come back high for the provider.
Also, there is fear of malpractice and patient complaints.
The other issue is healthcare has gotten super specialized. The general family practice doc is basically a triager. I knew a family practice doc who said out of a course of one day, 99% of the patients were the worried well. 1% of the patients were truly sick, and as a result got sent to the hospital or a specialist, because the family practice doc did not have the specialty training.