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From Men's Journal:
Every time you walk into a physician's office, you run the risk of overtreatment: Tests you don't need, medications that are ineffective (or dangerous), procedures that cause more problems than they solve. In many cases the best thing for your health is to do nothing.
Make no mistake: A good doctor is, or should be, your most trusted resource if you're sick. If you're not sick and he wants to treat you anyway, that doesn't necessarily make him a bad doctor. But it does make him a player in a system that operates according to the unspoken and often unexamined assumption that more treatment is better for the patient. It's unquestionably better for the financial health of the stakeholders in the system: the doctors, the pharmaceutical industry, the health-insurance companies, and the hospitals. If you don't know how the game is played, the odds go up that you'll wind up the loser.
What do you people think, will people change if they know this?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by hoochiecoochieman on Wednesday September 24 2014, @05:42PM
That's simply a lie [wikipedia.org].
Couldn't you find a better example? Hawking is not even by far a regular patient, he's extremely, extremely exceptional. He's the subject of bleeding-edge experiences. WTF?
Another lie [wikipedia.org].
It's funny that you compare the richest country in the world to... Cuba, a very poor country with no resources and an economic embargo for decades. It's like the schoolyard bully winning at arm wrestling by a very close margin against the weakest guy in the school and then bragging about it.
More ironically, in this case (infant mortality) the weak guy kicks the bully right in the ass. Couldn't you come up with an indicator where you win? Just like... the health care cost. In that category, you win big time! The most expensive health care in the world! America! Fuck Yeah!
(Score: 3, Informative) by rcamera on Wednesday September 24 2014, @06:00PM
fyi - hawking is british and actually credits the NHS with saving his life [telegraph.co.uk]. did you know oxford isn't in the good 'ol us-of-a?
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(Score: 0, Flamebait) by wantkitteh on Wednesday September 24 2014, @07:10PM
"A big whoosh" - is that what you call it when you complete fail to put any actual indication of sarcasm in your writing? I suggest learning the basics of forming sentences and punctuation before you attempt such difficult things as the lowest form of wit.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by isostatic on Wednesday September 24 2014, @08:20PM
Funny how Americans can't sport sarcasm unless it is covered in massive glowing lights. Sigh.
(Score: 2) by hoochiecoochieman on Thursday September 25 2014, @09:06AM
Dude, you really fooled me! And I'm not an American.
Ok, ok, I reckon I had a knee-jerk reaction, but this wasn't an easy one to spot. I should have seen that it was too stupid to be sincere. But there are actually people out there who are that stupid.
(Score: 2, Informative) by rcamera on Thursday September 25 2014, @06:00PM
but on the more serious side, the infant mortality rate isn't a fair comparison. in the US, we consider a live birth to be... well... anyone that's born alive. many other countries don't count a "live birth" unless the fetus meets certain weight or gestation duration requirements. we count preemies in our IMR - they don't.
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