Most of us want to be healthy, but it’s easier said than done. In the US, people are caught between a broken medical system and a well-resourced wellness industry. The failings of the former – cost barriers, rushed appointments, impersonal attention – push them towards the snake-oil solutions of the latter.
Over 25 years of practicing medicine, running a primary care practice in Washington DC, Dr Lucy McBride has seen patients struggle to navigate the medical system. In her new book, Beyond the Prescription, McBride presents a practical framework for getting the best results from a flawed system. It begins with defining what health means to you.
For one person, it might be running ultramarathons and extending longevity at any cost; for another, it might be balance and the freedom to indulge. It’s no wonder patients feel unheard, unsatisfied and lost. We spoke about how people can advocate for themselves and pursue their vision of health.
Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. Why do you think people have lost trust in medical institutions? Who do you trust in your life?
Someone who listens, who has time, who’s curious, who asks appropriate follow-up questions. In the case of medicine, it’s someone who isn’t trying to give you quick answers for profit or rush you out the door. But the medical system in the US has become episodic, transactional and impersonal; it privileges the volume of patients seen, and processing them instead of caring for them.
The system tends to treat people like a set of body parts. The US public is frustrated. I think we all know the insurance industry [is at fault] as well, but when your doctor’s hand is on the doorknob and they’re rushing you through an appointment, it’s easy to blame them.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
