Surrounded by Strange Sounds. As I lay in a tube with various gadgets restraining my head and with plugs in my ears, I listened to unusual sounds from the MRI that surrounded my upper body. Strange thoughts entered my head, from where i have no idea. One thought came from 40+ years ago about a conversation with a kindly old German physician named Otto. I had visited his office to inquire about dizzy spells I was having after a slight head injury. "Phil, we know very little about these minor head injuries because it has not been worth it to open the skull and examine the brain to try and determine the cause. All we know is that they usually go away after while." Otto was right, the symptoms slowly subsided.
Not So Today. We have tools like Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans to allow us to obtain images of brain activity. Although these are sophisticated instruments made possible by advanced technology, they are still relatively primative when it comes to understanding the complex network of neurons, dendrites, and axions that make up our brain. It is advanced measuring tools like these that have changed our entire health care system.
Today vs Fifty Years Ago. We seldom went to the doctor but when we did he took a look at us, made a good guess as to what was wrong, and recommended a course of action to take care of the problem. More often than not, he was correct and we got better. Now it seems like the primary care physician is simply a gate keeper to send you for a multitude of tests before deciding on a treatment. As I lay in the MRI, I thought about the fact that my dizziness symptoms had disappeared on their own a few days before, just like Otto had said. Years ago, there was no receptionist, no physicians assistant, and no insurance person. A single nurse generally ran the whole operation. Instead of worrying about the co-pay, it was simply the you-pay system. They told you how much it was and you paid it. There were also no complex diagnostic centers where a huge staff ran various tests to determine what was causing your difficulty.
Some, If Not Most, of What I Criticize is Progress. I am not suggesting we go back to the old system, at least not totally. It seems perverse that I spend 99% of my health care expenses on insurance premiums and practically nothing to the provider. Could we do away with programs that pay everything and that tell the physician how to run the practice? Perhaps we should pay more of our dollars to the practitioners and less, far less, to the insurance companies. Should we limit mal-practice claims to gross negligence and do less to penalize honest mistakes. My guess is that it might result in lower insurance premiums. There needs to be some way other than more government regulation to promote competition in the insurance industry.
My MRI is Complete. Right now I still know nothing except that the symptoms are gone. I am regretting that I bothered to go through with the test. After almost 75 years on the planet, there is little doubt that my brain might have a mal-function or two. I have endured two or three mildly traumatic brain injuries over the years but those could be the subject of another post. Here's wishing for a happy Independence Day to All.
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