The Saddest Thing I Ever Had To Do

[hppygr8ful]

This may be an old thread, but anyone out there have something to add?

Medical ethics are going to go vitually out the window as healthcare reform is ushered in. The United Kingdom (England) system is full of stories of cardiac patients being turned out to die at home with nothing but directions to take Tylenol for pain.

I currently have a 58 year old patient hospitalized with compression fractures of her spine. She is developmentally disabled and I had her to several different doctors who refused treatment based solely on the fact of her developmental delay. The wisdom of their decision is that she is somehow less worthy of care as she may only have limited benefit from any treament (Huh - sounds a bit like health care rationing to me) . But for the fact that a prominant neurosurgeon at a teaching hospital took an interest in her case she would be getting no care at all.

Why are people with developmental delays considered less worthy of treatment? Are they not human? Do they not feel pain? Do they not bleed. This person has medicare and medicaid but neither will authorize testing to rule out underlying disease because as the denial letter states she is not a good candidate for successful treatment. I guess we are just supposed to leave her in a bed in pain and let her die.

Beware of what you wish for - with healthcare reform will come a new definition of medical ethics where the cost of care will be a huge consideration when deciding what treatment will be done - if we think the current system is bad just wait. Remember Obama himself was quoted to have said "why do a bunch of expensive tests and treatments that may not work when it might be just as effective to give a pain pill."

Peace and Namaste

Hppy

Oh I have a headache