Monday, June 20, 2011

Two simple things we can do to improve health care.

Health care is expensive everywhere, but the human, social and economic value received by Americans is among the lowest in the world.

Make autopsies mandatory.
Sign the petition!

Autopsies are one of the best and one of the least expensive feedback regarding the health care system.

From  establishing the cause of death to collecting statistical data about long-term illness and injuries, NOTHING returns the value for the dollar of an autopsy.

Full autopsies are not needed in most cases, pictures, tissue samples & medical history can all be stored into an anonymous database which would be invaluable to researchers.

Performing such autopsies need not be done by doctors, since we are primarily collecting data, though every doctor should be required to do at least some autopsies each year for their own education.


Medical students are another fine group to have do this work--the usual curriculum includes examining one corpse, this could provide dozens to each student, each a major lesson.



Despite popular portrayals, insurance claims are not the only reason that doctors hate to make mistakes--it's actually only occasionally a concern.

Few doctors practice medicine in order to make mistakes--they practice because they care.


Today, the doctor is supposed to ask the grieving family if they want an autopsy--the answer is very often no.

Do we want a health care system which ignores this vital piece of feedback?


The economic and social value of this information is incalculable. It should be paired with changes in medical liability law.


Make the organ donation option an "opt out."
Sign the petition!

The number of people who will opt out of organ donation is much lower than the number who will default to donation. Has nothing to do with how they feel about it, it's just a lot easier to skip the question than to think about it...so if you have an opt in system, you get about the same percentage as will opt out if that is the default.

Tiny changes with huge returns. Xrystalbali

1 comment:

  1. Please note that there are 2 different petitions!

    This is to permit people to take individual stands on the two proposals....

    ReplyDelete