State of the healthcare system in America: Let's discuss why it's failing

Kate Collins67 said:As for me? Medicine was never even on my radar as a choice—it just sort of... happened. By pure accident, really.

Life's messy like that. 🧐

swiftbear86 said:Bob gets exactly what’s going on here...👍
There's just no room for arrogance in the healthcare system..
Even the most brilliant specialist can still be someone who greets you with a smile🙂🙂🙂
And actually stays accessible to their patients👍

1. "Understands" = he agrees with everything you're saying?
2. It's possible—we could get rid of the arrogant doctors, but shouldn't we also ban the arrogant patients from walking through the door at the same time?
3. Sure, it's possible, but it doesn't have to happen.
4. What, are we just going to solve this by house calls?

Kate Collins67 said:And look, if that’s what they actually told them, then honestly, there isn't much else to add. You could maybe rephrase it to sound even more brutal, but that's really it.

Either you don't have kids, you're emotionally stunted, or you're just plain malicious.🤷

For heaven's sake, 👎

I want to know every single microscopic detail about my dog's health whenever we visit the vet—so don't even get me started on talking about a biological child. I would tear through every living clinical study in existence if it meant saving their life. You're stripping people of their chance to fight, regardless of how confident some doctor might feel about a grim prognosis.
If we're being pragmatic, why on earth were they keeping him in a hospital bed for three months if the kid is supposedly destined for palliative care? It’s just draining the budget for someone who actually has a fighting chance.
The whole thing is absolute bullshit from top to bottom.

There’s this one doctor—honestly, there are a few of them, but this one really sticks out—who’s always smiling and acting all sweet. Patients absolutely adore her, but if I had my way? I wouldn't let her get anywhere near me with a scalpel. From a purely medical standpoint, she couldn't sell her "expertise" even to the most hardcore wellness gurus. But oh, she’s just so helpful to everyone; she caters to every little whim. If you play your cards right and ask nicely, she’ll practically escort you through the hospital rotation personally, and heaven forbid you actually get sick once you arrive.
The problem is, when she finally gets a real patient in her care—which, let's be honest, doesn't happen nearly enough—she ends up prescribing treatment based on whatever nonsense she thinks is happening, because her actual diagnosis is usually miles off the mark.

It’s a miracle for the patients, really, that her incompetence isn't just partial, but absolute.

Kate Collins67 said:Giving a patient a choice... based on what exactly? Heaven forbid I have to pick which wire to cross in an electrical circuit when someone's life is hanging in the balance—and let's be honest, wiring isn't exactly my specialty.

What you're describing is just modern medicine—or more accurately, "alibi medicine." It's a convenient way to shift all the responsibility onto the patient's shoulders because, hey, it makes your job easier, right? But honestly, it surprises me that you—someone who claims to actually care about patient outcomes—would advocate for such a cowardly approach to medicine.

I'm not talking about any kind of alternative medicine.
The approach I’m talking about requires a hell of a lot more expertise and accountability than just blindly following some basic one-dimensional protocol. It’s not like those surface-level steps 1, 2, or 3 actually worked for you—it’s a shame, really. Goodbye.
Most of the time, we just get it done without all that "we're so sorry" nonsense.
As a patient, I have a fundamental right to be cured as effectively and quickly as possible. On your end, as a doctor, you have a duty to lay everything out on the table—tell me exactly what my options are, including your limitations. That part about what you can and can't do? It’s usually the first thing people skip, and honestly, that's where I have zero tolerance.
That’s exactly my point. It isn't about shifting the blame.

Angela Wright said:Either you don't have kids, you're emotionally stunted, or you're just plain malicious.🤷

For heaven's sake, 👎

I want to know every single microscopic detail about my dog's health whenever we visit the vet—so don't even get me started on talking about a biological child. I would tear through every living clinical study in existence if it meant saving their life. You're stripping people of their chance to fight, regardless of how confident some doctor might feel about a grim prognosis.
If we're being pragmatic, why on earth were they keeping him in a hospital bed for three months if the kid is supposedly destined for palliative care? It’s just draining the budget for someone who actually has a fighting chance.
The whole thing is absolute bullshit from top to bottom.

Look, if they had just looked at this through a strictly professional lens—I mean, if there was actually a dedicated facility equipped to handle palliative care—he probably wouldn't have been sitting in a hospital bed for three months in the first place. But no, instead, someone decided to pull the "humanitarian" card, and then, once they finally let him go, they still got dragged through the mud for it...

Kate Collins67 said:1. "Understands" = he agrees with everything you're saying?
2. It's possible—we could get rid of the arrogant doctors, but shouldn't we also ban the arrogant patients from walking through the door at the same time?
3. Sure, it's possible, but it doesn't have to happen.
4. What, are we just going to solve this by house calls?

1)I didn't see any agreement here, and I'm not making claims—just sharing my thoughts.
2)I never even said that; you can be arrogant toward your colleagues, just don't be that way with a patient. 😛
3)That's a personal choice.
4)Yeah, even house calls; that's why home visits still exist.

Not every doctor works in a hospital setting.
And honestly, some people aren't satisfied with just the hospital job, so they pick up private practice on the side.
I bet they aren't being arrogant at a high-end private clinic, either. 😁

Angela Wright said:Either you don't have kids, you're emotionally stunted, or you're just plain malicious.🤷

For heaven's sake, 👎

I want to know every single microscopic detail about my dog's health whenever we visit the vet—so don't even get me started on talking about a biological child. I would tear through every living clinical study in existence if it meant saving their life. You're stripping people of their chance to fight, regardless of how confident some doctor might feel about a grim prognosis.
If we're being pragmatic, why on earth were they keeping him in a hospital bed for three months if the kid is supposedly destined for palliative care? It’s just draining the budget for someone who actually has a fighting chance.
The whole thing is absolute bullshit from top to bottom.

Look, she wouldn't be the first person to feel that way, but let's be real—it wouldn't change the outcome. People say hope is the last thing to die, sure, but I don't know... personally, I can't stomach giving someone false hope. Unless, of course, I can see right in front of me that the patient physically can't handle the truth.

Kate Collins67 said:There’s this one doctor—honestly, there are a few of them, but this one really sticks out—who’s always smiling and acting all sweet. Patients absolutely adore her, but if I had my way? I wouldn't let her get anywhere near me with a scalpel. From a purely medical standpoint, she couldn't sell her "expertise" even to the most hardcore wellness gurus. But oh, she’s just so helpful to everyone; she caters to every little whim. If you play your cards right and ask nicely, she’ll practically escort you through the hospital rotation personally, and heaven forbid you actually get sick once you arrive.
The problem is, when she finally gets a real patient in her care—which, let's be honest, doesn't happen nearly enough—she ends up prescribing treatment based on whatever nonsense she thinks is happening, because her actual diagnosis is usually miles off the mark.

It’s a miracle for the patients, really, that her incompetence isn't just partial, but absolute.

And you, as a doctor, just sit there and stay quiet about it?
Report her to the Medical Board.👍

Kate Collins67 said:Look, if they had just looked at this through a strictly professional lens—I mean, if there was actually a dedicated facility equipped to handle palliative care—he probably wouldn't have been sitting in a hospital bed for three months in the first place. But no, instead, someone decided to pull the "humanitarian" card, and then, once they finally let him go, they still got dragged through the mud for it...

Everyone keeps asking the same question: "Do you have somewhere to put the patient?" 🙄 🙄 🙄 Please, for the love of God, point me toward a hospital that actually operates like that—one where I can call them up the second a terminal illness hits me and they’ll just take me in immediately.
Don't give me that nonsense. I've been neck-deep in this reality through my work with cancer advocacy groups. You want to talk about humanity? Is that the same brand of "humanity" we're supposed to believe in here? Don't insult my intelligence. 😳

swiftbear86 said:1)I didn't see any agreement here, and I'm not making claims—just sharing my thoughts.
2)I never even said that; you can be arrogant toward your colleagues, just don't be that way with a patient. 😛
3)That's a personal choice.
4)Yeah, even house calls; that's why home visits still exist.

Not every doctor works in a hospital setting.
And honestly, some people aren't satisfied with just the hospital job, so they pick up private practice on the side.
I bet they aren't being arrogant at a high-end private clinic, either. 😁

Oh sure, those "mystical" home visits—which in my neighborhood usually just mean the doctor decided to take a field trip to his own house, leaving you wondering if anyone is actually available after 3 PM to deal with patients, or if you're just getting handed off to some random replacement.

Some people just don't work in clinics, and frankly, they have no idea what they're missing out on...

I can't believe I even have to address this—it’s like talking to a brick wall sometimes. Honestly, does anyone else feel like we're just spinning our wheels here? It feels like every time we try to make sense of things, someone comes along and throws a wrench in the works. Is it just me, or is the level of common sense dropping by the day? It’s exhausting, truly. You try to have a logical conversation—a real, measured discussion—and suddenly you're met with nothing but noise. Why is that? Why is it so hard to find people who actually want to dig into the details instead of just shouting slogans? It's infuriating. kaže:
And you—as a doctor—you’re just going to sit there and stay silent about this? Seriously?
Report her to the Chamber.👍

They tried to take her out—someone way more influential than me, at that—so, you know... nothing happened.

Angela Wright said:Everyone keeps asking the same question: "Do you have somewhere to put the patient?" 🙄 🙄 🙄 Please, for the love of God, point me toward a hospital that actually operates like that—one where I can call them up the second a terminal illness hits me and they’ll just take me in immediately.
Don't give me that nonsense. I've been neck-deep in this reality through my work with cancer advocacy groups. You want to talk about humanity? Is that the same brand of "humanity" we're supposed to believe in here? Don't insult my intelligence. 😳

Look, you’re digging really deep into the complexities here, so let me just pose a simple question to you.
You're a doctor and you have a patient—a child—with an incurable tumor involving metastases, requiring ongoing palliative care. You tell the parents their child has a metastatic tumor. After that step, I want to hear how you would proceed, broken down into a few points, if you please.

My primary care doctor actually does house calls, and when things got really hectic, she even gave me her personal cell number. She actually called me—can you believe that?—just to check in and see how I was doing. Honestly, she’s such an idealist... or if you ask some people, maybe just someone too selfless to value her own free time.

Kate Collins67 said:Look, she wouldn't be the first person to feel that way, but let's be real—it wouldn't change the outcome. People say hope is the last thing to die, sure, but I don't know... personally, I can't stomach giving someone false hope. Unless, of course, I can see right in front of me that the patient physically can't handle the truth.

You know what? I’m going to be incredibly rude just so I can get banned for it.😠

I want you to tell me how you'd feel when one of your own gets sick—and based on the medical data we see every day, there's a massive chance that'll happen, considering one in three Americans will face some form of cancer in their lifetime.
Go ahead, count the people living in your house, then come back and type this again if you actually have that much shamelessness in your soul!😠😠😠
Who exactly are you to decide what constitutes "the truth," where hope begins, and at what point it turns into a lie?!
That kind of arrogance is clearly your specialty, yet when it comes time to actually be bold and demand better working conditions, you suddenly vanish because you're too terrified of getting fired...😳

I make myself available to my patients from 7 AM until 8 PM.
The nature of what I do just doesn't really allow for house calls.
And honestly, seeing some doctors take advantage of weak Medicare oversight? That's what really gets under my skin.😁

swiftbear86 said:Once you've put in as many years on the job as I have, you'll see my point..🙄
Since you're still a student, like you mentioned, you've got a lot of catching up to do regarding both your profession and how to actually deal with people..😍
And I'm not talking about a doctor just having an off day here; I'm talking about a consistent pattern of how they treat their patients..👍

I'm always the first one to admit that you've gotta go the extra mile with studying...

Being polite and being affectionate aren't even the same thing, and I already made my point about anyone being rude (maybe you missed that part though)...

But since you brought it up—what about the way patients behave?
Some of these people can be straight-up animals, and me being someone who "still has a lot to learn" doesn't really help when things get wild like that...😉

Angela Wright said:You know what? I’m going to be incredibly rude just so I can get banned for it.😠

I want you to tell me how you'd feel when one of your own gets sick—and based on the medical data we see every day, there's a massive chance that'll happen, considering one in three Americans will face some form of cancer in their lifetime.
Go ahead, count the people living in your house, then come back and type this again if you actually have that much shamelessness in your soul!😠😠😠
Who exactly are you to decide what constitutes "the truth," where hope begins, and at what point it turns into a lie?!
That kind of arrogance is clearly your specialty, yet when it comes time to actually be bold and demand better working conditions, you suddenly vanish because you're too terrified of getting fired...😳

I honestly don't follow you. Half the time, everyone is preaching about how the patient has a "right to know" this and that.
But now, if I were to look a patient in the eye and tell them—based on my actual medical expertise—that they have maybe six months left to live and that I don't even know of a treatment that could change that outcome, suddenly that's considered wrong too.
I just don't get what exactly you're looking for here.
And frankly, I don't see why you'd bother getting someone banned over this; personally, I don't take offense that easily.

Kate Collins67 said:Look, you’re digging really deep into the complexities here, so let me just pose a simple question to you.
You're a doctor and you have a patient—a child—with an incurable tumor involving metastases, requiring ongoing palliative care. You tell the parents their child has a metastatic tumor. After that step, I want to hear how you would proceed, broken down into a few points, if you please.

First off, I feel like we're all just guessing here because nobody actually knows the specifics of this case. Second, if a child is truly that sick, you communicate that immediately—not three months down the line (if I can be a little blunt there). Third, you lay out the options, especially the potential outcomes. It’s much better to be honest than to let people live in a delusion; at least then they can mentally prepare somehow. Plus, you can provide contacts for support groups that offer mental health resources when the healthcare system falls short...

Kate Collins67 said:Look, you’re digging really deep into the complexities here, so let me just pose a simple question to you.
You're a doctor and you have a patient—a child—with an incurable tumor involving metastases, requiring ongoing palliative care. You tell the parents their child has a metastatic tumor. After that step, I want to hear how you would proceed, broken down into a few points, if you please.

No, I was being very straightforward. You're over-philosophizing the whole thing.

I'll say it again: the diagnosis hasn't even been finalized yet, so it's a perfectly logical question to ask how anyone can claim something is "incurable" at this stage.
The core issue isn't the medicine; it's that the doctor didn't actually communicate anything useful. Instead of being a clumsy gatekeeper just trying to fish for info, a professional would have brought the family into a room and explained the specific situation with dignity and professionalism.

How would I handle it? I don't know, because I'm not a parent. But I can tell you exactly how I handled it when my own mother received her diagnosis.
I took the tissue samples and sent them off to get a second opinion from a pathologist in Houston.
Once I had that second opinion in hand, I did everything within my power to stay calm and take action. In my mother's case, however, the diagnosis was delivered within a standard timeframe, so I wasn't robbed of the chance to seek out that second opinion.
We were told that once a recurrence happens, you can't continue with the first or second line of therapy since there was a response earlier. We didn't find that out until she had already hit the terminal stage—three months too late... ring any bells?😳