The Medical Industry and Big Business

Every day millions of medical procedures are being performed across the country, however, we rarely stop and ask whether they are medically necessary. The Wall Street Journal ran a series on medical device companies that were physician owned and questioned whether implantation was made ethically and for the benefit of the patient, or rather as a means of profit. The same issue has been plaguing the medical industry and its patients for years. Doctors take an oath to ensure that a patients best interest is always put first when determining a course of treatment or recommending a procedure. However, the medical system is set up in a way that doctors get financially rewarded for performing a medical procedure, and in some cases get a kickback for using a specific brand of product or device in which the physician may share an ownership interest. After all, at the end of the day the medical industry is a business not unlike any other, and they only make profit if they “sell” their products and services. Of course the average American will trust their doctors advice and undergo any recommended treatment as stipulated by the physician. This of course makes it rather difficult to determine if a medical procedure a doctor recommends is truly necessary or not, particularly when a person’s condition is perceived as life threatening. Especially when we are brought up in society to resect a doctor’s opinion and hold it in high regard. However, we must also understand that unfortunately doctors are not God-like and not only make mistakes, but also act unethically at times especially when financial gain is involved. This of course is why many malpractice and ethics suits are brought against those in the medical field. That is not to say that every physician is only out to make money at the patients expense. However, it is certainly a realty in far too many cases to dismiss its existence. I have a personal experience some years back that really opened my eyes to this unfortunate atrocity occurring in the medicine. My father has congestive heart failure and was taken to the hospital where the doctors evaluated him and determined that he had bradycardia, which is a slow heart rate, and recommended a pace maker. This of course is standard procedure for someone with this condition. However, the doctor also ordered an angioplasty to be done which has nothing at all to do with the bradycardia, but rather is performed when there is a blockage in the heart. Upon questioning the doctor as to its necessity, he became very agitated and indignant. It was later after some research that I learned that the procedure was very costly, ranging from 38,000 to 45,000 dollars. My father did got through with the pace maker surgery yet opted out of the angioplasty despite some more coercing from both the doctor and his nursing staff, who stated that he would have another heart attack without it. Needless to say, that was over 5 years ago and he is doing fine despite not having gone through with the additional surgery, which would have put him at a much greater risk had he actually opted for the procedure. Of course I am not advocating going against your doctors orders or defying his or her medical opinion. However, as health care consumers we must be educated and cognizant enough to weight the risks and benefits associated with health care.