We stand at a turning point in the delivery of healthcare in this country. The ongoing Healthcare Reform discussions are preoccupied with funding and regulation. But legislation, regulation and rationing of healthcare funds cannot possibly produce the quality of healthcare that we need, because these approaches really miss the whole point. Ask any patient, and most will report that their doctor does not take the time to hear their needs or answer their questions.

To improve the quality of our healthcare and our health outcomes, what we really need is more fundamental -- we need radical change in doctors’ behavior, especially concerning Primary Care Physicians (PCPs).

Doctors who actually LISTEN to each patient's concerns can usually diagnose problems quickly and accurately, without unnecessary testing and specialist referrals. In my 29 years as a PCP, I've learned this leads to quicker recovery, happier patients, and very enjoyable professional relationships. Studies have shown that PCPs who listen to their patients can provide much better care, at far less cost.

Healthcare Reform can only succeed by motivating doctors to listen to their patients, and by allowing that face-to-face time. Healthcare Plan A fundamentally restructures the economics of healthcare, and finally pays for astute diagnosticians to give patients the time and attention they need. We already know this produces more effective and more efficient medical care by addressing each problem or concern right away. Patient satisfaction improves tremendously. And since this approach does away with many unnecessary tests and specialist referrals, expenses go down, and solutions are found much more quickly. For more information, please click on the link for Decisions in the Exam Room.

We need many more Primary Care Physicians, but doctors have been abandoning this field en masse.  Healthcare Plan A will solve this crisis by restoring Primary Care as a desirable profession. It will also bolster the training programs, so we develop the primary care doctors we so desperately need.

If you feel everyone should have a doctor who listens, please click on the link for Healthcare Plan A to review the plan, or click on Next Step for action you can take to move in this direction.

William C. Daly, M.D.                                  Primary Care Physician since 1980
DrDaly@HealthcarePlanA.org