Skin In The Game - A Review
By Laura M. Turner
It happens
like this. As a young person, she feels born to inspire. Her
family has some chronic illnesses. She feels she can help others
overcome the obstacles that her family has. Fast forward ten years (during
which time she has studied every waking hour and gets accepted into a medical
program).
She
studies some more. She's disappointed that she can't memorize
the phone book nor can she take tests in a binge/ purge fashion. She's
disappointed that she doesn't feel supported by the teachers and, in fact,
feels almost as if they want her to fail (there are only so many prestigious
slots in this elite program, after all). Yet, her heart is still in
it and so she keeps on...
In the
clinic as an intern, there's no time to "talk to" patients. Patients
are a number and the deli counter is full. The doctors and
practitioners are critical thinkers, educated, ambitious - underpaid, overworked, exhausted. Some
patients don't do their exercises. Some are overweight, smoke.
Some even expect the system to take care of them. This is the final stop on
her trip.
She throws
up her hands, leaves the profession. Shakes an angry fist at the sky,
then dusts off, takes her fat college loan coupon book and journey's on in
search of another way to reach the people...
Oh, maybe
it doesn't happen EXACTLY like this. But it did for me. And now
I know I'm not the only one.
In his
book Skin In The Game: How Putting Yourself First Today Will
Revolutionize Health Care Tomorrow, author John Hammergren gives us the dark details of exactly what's wrong with
our current medical system: a laundry list that would take up more space than we have here. The glimmer of
hope then comes from his vision for the future. One that he has been
wielding for years through his work as a pioneer in the health care services industry.
As a reader you close his book feeling enlightened: yes, someone who can do
something understands that our system is flawed, and can offer steps to
get it back on track!
Hammergren does this through his proposed business model for the
medical profession and all who are touched by it. And it's not
as complicated as one would think. In my understanding, it
boils down to this recipe: Pour in equal parts
successful business model, equal parts modern technology (evidence based healthcare),
stir in passionate health care workers who work in supportive "teams"
and top it with patients who educate
themselves and work toward prevention and wellness.
Could it be this easy? Could we move forward with the latest
in research and still keep health care choices in the hands of the market
- not the government?
Of his
vision, here's
just a sample of what Hammergren has to say:
"I am not against government
oversight of our health care system,
but I am against government intervention into the market (p. 127)."
"My dream is a system in
which consumers are able to take charge of their own health,
in an intelligent and informed way, through a lifelong engagement
instead of during
isolated interventions and emergencies. I want care providers
and payers to work in tandem and be
forward-looking and preventive in focus, in making sure that each
person has the best care at
the appropriate time through the most appropriate source (p. 115)."
Before I
call for a resounding, Amen! There is some trouble, as I see it. The doctors are not all for this,
at least right now. I just read, in a recent study conducted by the
Indiana University School of Medicine's Center for Health Policy and
Professionalism Research, they found 59% of the
U.S. doctors surveyed supported government legislation to establish national health
insurance. It's just my opinion, but this swing, more than likely,
exists in hopes of improving their pay scale. I
can tell you from an insiders point of view, doctors are tired of spending
such a small amount of time with patients. But, insurance pays in units. So
we have a problem here. It is my hope that, perhaps - like me - they
don't know that such options exist. Yet.
The book I
hold in my hands then is a panacea for the medical minded professional, as
well as the consumer. It is a treatise on a health care model for
a new age. And it couldn't have come at a better time. In fact,
if we could make it work, it promises much for the patient and for the
practitioner. On the patient side: all parties will be informed, no questions
will go
un-answered, all specialists will have the same health care history.
As
for the practitioner, they'll know every drug the patient has ever taken; every illness
they've had and therefore, can help them receive the latest advances
research science has
to offer. This will put the odds of patients getting healthy in their favor. This
allows practitioners to focus on what they are
passionate about: serving the people.
In short,
if we help to devise the system - we can all come together to get the
technological advances we know exist.
But it will take time. And again, it all begins with us. And as
Hammergren reminds us, we must all roll up our sleeves and put our "Skin in the
Game."
Should you
choose to read on for more information, Hammergren will also give you:
-
A detailed review of how our health care system has arrived at where it
is and what needs to be changed based on his vision
- Why
we are currently paying for Medicare, twice
-
Why you should know about market-based health care reform
-
What's wrong with nationalized medicine
-
What is evidence-based medicine and how it affects your health, as well
as your family's
- and
more...
How can
you get your skin in the game? Begin by reading Hammergren's book.
Next, take good care to educate yourself on your own, then form your
opinions based on the information you've received, as well as your
experiences. Decide how you can best proceed with both the intention of a
better tomorrow and for health care advances for you and your family. My two cents:
Always do your best
to keep prevention and wellness at the fore of your lifestyle. In my
experience, (and I do think Hammergren would agree) this is the best health
insurance policy available - anywhere.
Be sure to
read the article by John Hammergren from our last issue:
In This Political Season, Health Care
Reform is a Business Issue
