Placebos - the answer to rising medical costs
I have read over the years that 80% of patients who see their family physician will get better with no treatment (It must be true because I saw it on the Internet). We have too much to do and we know that if we see a doctor, we want medicine. Since most doctors are not comfortable with Dr. House's method of announcing to the waiting patients, "Any of you with a runny nose and coughing, go home. You have a cold," I have a simple solution; pass out Placebos.
On the first visit, unless a patient has symptoms of a heart attack, stroke or has turned a color of bad food, give them the placebos. If they return in 2 weeks and haven't improved, it is probably a good idea to check them out a little bit further.
Tell them that the pills are very strong and to cut in half if they start having too much energy and starting feeling better than they really should.
Also, make them over-the-counter. Drug companies really like that. They should be manufactured in various sizes and colors to allow for different types of non-treatment. Based on my junk mail box, I would suggest that the bulk of them should be small, blue pills; a lot of people already seem to want those.
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On the first visit, unless a patient has symptoms of a heart attack, stroke or has turned a color of bad food, give them the placebos. If they return in 2 weeks and haven't improved, it is probably a good idea to check them out a little bit further.
Tell them that the pills are very strong and to cut in half if they start having too much energy and starting feeling better than they really should.
Also, make them over-the-counter. Drug companies really like that. They should be manufactured in various sizes and colors to allow for different types of non-treatment. Based on my junk mail box, I would suggest that the bulk of them should be small, blue pills; a lot of people already seem to want those.
TVP
Posted by The Virtual Patient at 2/27/2009 8:54 AM 
Categories: Irony, doctors, Drug Companies, Patient Responsibility
Tags: costs doctors irony Insurance healthcare cost
Categories: Irony, doctors, Drug Companies, Patient Responsibility
Tags: costs doctors irony Insurance healthcare cost
Thanks for the information :)
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