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Let us do our share for health care reform
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 Michael D. DePaolis |
It is that time of year again – autumn is in the air, footballs are flying, kids are back in school and our government is immersed in a new legislative session. It is that time when our elected officials return to Capitol Hill with new hopes and a fresh agenda. Much like autumn itself, it is a time of change.
While change is on the mind of every lawmaker this legislative session, it is most evident in the arena of health care. From President Obama to the public at large, there is a universal mandate for health care reform. This is for good reason, as health care in the United States has become cumbersome, inefficient and expensive. In fact, even many health care providers – including me – support some form of health care reform. The challenge, of course, is crafting meaningful legislation that is fair and equitable in the eyes of all stakeholders.
At the risk of sounding self-serving, I sincerely believe that health care providers are the most important players in health care reform. After all, we are the ones on the front line of health care delivery, the ones who best understand patient needs as well as the inefficiencies in our current system. However, perhaps most importantly, we have the greatest influence on patient behavior – arguably the most critical variable in architecting health care reform.
An excellent example is glaucoma. Like so many other chronically debilitating diseases, glaucoma has the potential to adversely impact an individual’s productivity and quality of life. Its management is a lifelong battle, for patient and practitioner alike. Winning this battle involves much more than controlling intraocular pressure, it requires managing the entire patient. This is not often an easy task given the many variables at play.
We must first make the correct diagnosis and devise a protocol for managing progression in an efficient, cost effective fashion. We must foster compliance, which is often affected by the number of medications (and dosing frequency), attending side-effects and cost. Last, but certainly not least, are the issues of lifestyle, social habits, dietary considerations and nutritional supplementation, all of which play an increasingly important role in glaucoma management.
While it all sounds a bit daunting, it is actually an excellent opportunity for us to do our share in effecting health care reform. We can start by reevaluating our glaucoma diagnostic work-up and after-care protocols and eliminating redundant or excessive care. We can review each patient’s medical/surgical options, thereby enhancing compliance through efficient and cost-effective treatment strategies. Perhaps most importantly, we can impress upon patients their role in health care reform. For sure, if health care reform is to work, patients must take greater responsibility for their health care.
Just as autumn will give way to winter, today’s proposed health care bill will give way to a new piece of legislation. While the details of health care reform have yet to be fleshed out, all stakeholders will surely make concessions. For this reason, it only makes sense that we be proactive in effecting change. It is good for health care, for our profession, for our practices and, most importantly, for our patients.