Publisher's Synopsis
If you believe that America has the greatest health care system in the world then this book is probably not for you. The truth is that our health care system is riddled with deeply rooted flaws. It is certainly not the product of intelligent design. Too often it has put profits ahead of good science and cost-effectiveness. Unfortunately, the system is highly resistant to change because of all the powerful players who have a vested interest in the status quo. Nevertheless, Americans deserve better. We have the technology. We have the resources. What is needed is a vision. And a blueprint. The vision and the blueprint in this book are the product of over thirty years of observations and experience in the field of medicine, from my education and training at highly regarded academic institutions to my practice of neurology at a county-owned safety net hospital in the heart of Silicon Valley. The solutions to the problems that are afflicting our current system are within our reach. Many of these solutions already exist, but cannot be fully utilized because of the extremely fragmented structure of our health care system and because of the absence of proper incentives for rational best practices. Doctors are burning out, at a rate of up to 50% in some specialties, because at some level they realize that they are working in a broken system. Of course, people are afraid of changes that are needed. Nevertheless, the benefits will be enormous. Better health care for less money will be worth it. No longer will patients, doctors, and insurance companies find sometimes find themselves in a three-way adversarial relationship. This Gold Medal System will restore the doctor-patient relationship to the sacred status that is deserves.
