Managing the Soaring Health Care Costs Due

Managing the soaring health care costs due to litigation and mismanagement should be a key concern to any healthcare organization. Attempting to manage those costs oftentimes will run into barriers such as government regulations that require doctors and administrators to document each and every decision made in regards to patient treatment. Due to the extra paperwork and documentation needed to fulfill these requirements, doctors, nurses and administrators are put at odds with the very system that reimburses them for their time, efforts and expenses. The system also seems to pit the doctor's against the patients instead of working towards the patient's best interest.

A recent study determined that "everyone agrees that patients should be able to find cheap, safe, and efficient care" (Avaraham, 2011, p. 8) yet doctors are still under pressure to produce billings that justify their salaries, or worse yet, they are told to see more patients for less dollars. How to address this situation is the question of the day.

This paper advocates a similar proposal to some of the rhetoric spewing forth from Washington; ie, that tort reform take place and that doctors are allowed to followed evidence-based clinical practice guidelines a be granted immunity from liability when doing so. A recent study provides support for the proposal by stating that such a proposal as this one is one "of the more promising proposals in Washington" (Alonso-Zaldivar, 2011). Providing a safe harbor would alleviate much of the angst being suffered by the doctors who face daunting regulations, paperwork and a work schedule that demand more and more from each physician while still cutting costs.

Doctors should be allowed the ability to determine what treatments are needed by the patient and implement those treatments as long as they are based on sound medicine and are cost effective. Initiating a course of treatment that does not present 'evidence-based judgment' should not be condoned, and the doctor should be held liable. On the other hand, patients too must take ownership of their treatments.

With today's almost immediate access to data and information, it is necessary for the patient to assume some role, some ownership of treatments that take place within their bodily realm. To abdicate from that responsibility by leaving the entire decision making process in someone else's hands should also mean that the results should not be punishable, either financially or through other methods.

A method for alleviating many of the problems mentioned in this paper, is through increased and improved communications. All stakeholders should have the ability to input viewpoints and data that would help in making health care decisions. Currently a contract is assumed between the doctor and the patient that requires certain actions on the part of both parties. A system that would spell out those actions and the legal liabilities of each party should be developed. There is such a dearth of information that many patients (as well as doctors) have little information on which to base medical decisions. Additional information should be provided to all parties.