Health Care Solutions

First, I am going to provide a listing of what I believe are the major reasons for our health care crisis today. Then I will list potential solutions to all of the problems. Although these are simple ideas about a very complex issue, there may be one or several ideas that will result in improved quality and decreased cost if enforced over time.

1. Most costs of care are incurred in the first year of life and the last two years of life

Only 25% of the population accounts for 87% of all spending. Potential solution: Premature birth is a huge problem in society occurring mainly among very young < 17 years old and older women >3 5. Many of these woman do not have health coverage and seek care very late in the pregnancy. Maternal care should be provided to all pregnant women as a government sponsored program so that problems could be identified early and women do not postpone care which could identify placenta previa, incompetent cervix or other manageable conditions.

Fertility treatment has contributed greatly to the increase in multiple low-birth weight babies or premature birth and is taking a huge toll on health care costs. Considering the high risk of problems with birth of these children, those requesting fertility treatment must be willing and capable of paying 20% of the potential huge costs of delivering a preterm baby or babies who may have chronic problems for their entire life.

High costs incurred at the end of life are a result of lack of scientific evidence related to most appropriate approaches to care. Decisions are often based on the belief that "more is better". There is uncertainty over the ability of the individual to overcome illness and disease. This is an area that can only be corrected through research into the most common causes of death in the elderly or others and following care in that last year of life.

2. Medical/Medication Errors

It has been shown that medication errors result in approximately $23 million in added costs. There are approximately 70,000 deaths each year from medical errors during hospitalizations and 7,000 deaths from medication errors alone. Multiple physicians often take care of one patient and often do not communicate with one another.

Potential solution: Since medications are a major component of disease treatment today, pharmacists must play a larger role in the care of individuals. Pharmacy departments must develop linkages with other pharmacists in order to identify all drugs that a patient is taking in order to prevent adverse interactions. At the very least, pharmacists should serve as consultants and be available to review all drugs that a patient is taking and make recommendations to the physician.

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