MD Whistleblower

Michael Kirsh, MD. Of MDWhistleblower.com fame, comments frequently and trenchantly on my blogs. I like his style and panache, and I recommend you visit his blog often. Dr. Kirsh peeks behind the medical curtain and delivers candor and controversy with every post.

Here is an excerpt from his October 31 posting, “Where Have All The Bedside Manners Gone, “ in which he explains why unhappy doctors have less time these days to spend with patients and to practice their art.

• Physicians are working harder each year for less money.

• Physicians battle insurance companies every day to receive money we have already earned.

• Physicians are demoralized by an unfair medical malpractice system.

• Private practice physicians are being driven out by corporate medicine.

• Employed physicians have limited professional autonomy and must genuflect to administrators and bean-counting bureaucrats.

• Medical practices in private medicine have all the stresses and challenges of running a business - payroll, inventory, staffing, overhead and unexpected crises.

• Physicians must plow through mounds of ridiculous paperwork every day.

• Physicians are required to participate in government and insurance company quality programs that have no effect on medical quality, but cost us money and time.

• Health care reform may proceed at the expense of the medical profession.