Can you do trains instead? Having ridden thousands of miles in busses I can tell you it gets extremely cramped and uncomfortable, and this gets worse the longer you're on it. Sleeper trains in the US and Canada are really nice. Not sure about Europe.
I'll also add that I very much appreciate nurse practitioners. I have to go in every 6 months for routine "old man maintenance" checkups, and there's really no need for me to see a doctor for these types of visits. You're filling a much-needed role. (And I'm sure you do a lot more than just "old man maintenance" consults, LOL).
You're right, it's a complex issue that my bullet point just kind of touched on (and lacks nuance). In many ways, patients are required to navigate their own health care and be their own champion and advocate It gets messy when we encounter misinformation that tells us what we want to hear, but isn't based on solid science.
Thank you, you bring up some important points. Malpractice lawsuits and insurance are significant problems, too.
In my limited anecdotal experience as a patient of (and support staff for) doctors I have met some very compassionate and capable doctors and nurses. I don't see health care providers as being the problem with our system. It's primarily the private health insurance companies and PBMs. They are the main reasons why we can't have nice things.
It's astonishing (and insane) how private health insurance has taken over the entirety of health care at every operational level.
This is a type of insurance that started out decades ago as an unusual perk for executives. They called "major medical". Nobody thought that much about it. In those days most working people simply could go see a doctor and just pay with cash or check.
Now, their tendrils have wrapped around everything from the lowest-paid pharmacy tech to most expensive surgeon...and everything and everyone in-between.
The board rooms of private health insurance companies have a gigantic dragon by the tail, and they have no damned clue what to do with it.
Yes, I would not dispute that. Medication and PT is too expensive for many. And many people live in "food deserts". Whatever the causes, it's highly frustrating for doctors.
Read what I said. Most doctors I know. I know several. I worked for a hospital system, and I currently have a healthcare adjacent job. We talk about these things, yes. I don't claim to speak for all doctors.
Private insurance and intrusive controlling software: the doctor is limited in what they are allowed to prescribe, they have to check all sorts of boxes, and they have complex computer forms to fill out. They are too busy with the laptop to have much attention left for patients.
Non-compliant patients who "do their own research" on the internet.
Most doctors I know don't even want to go to a doctor. They know all the providers are shit talking their patients and just doing the best they can in a very broken system.
Late stage capitalism and medical misinformation have made the doctor-patient relationship almost adversarial.
Boozilla @ Boozilla @lemmy.world Posts 12Comments 1,692Joined 2 yr. ago
You're welcome. I hope you enjoy it!