It is common, when going to the doctor with a medical problem, to imagine the worst-case scenario playing out. Last month, leading up to Halloween, subscribers of my Monthly Musings on American Healthcare were asked what scares them most as patients. Here are the results:
Analysis: Of all the surveys we’ve done, this is one of the most illuminating to me. It highlights the glaring disconnect between what doctors and patients see as the goal of medicine.
As physicians, we aspire to “save a life at any cost.” Those who can rescue patients from the clutches of death—unclogging arteries and blood vessels to the heart and brain—stand atop medicine’s professional hierarchy. But as this survey demonstrates, it’s not the fear of suffering a heart attack or stroke that keeps patients up at night. And contrary to the media’s disproportionate coverage of Covid-19, patients aren’t afraid of becoming infected or suffering a complication from a vaccine.
Instead, most people have a healthy fear of living in pain and discomfort. They fear the idea of living with a prolonged illness or paralysis, infirmities that threaten to steal their vitality and zest for life. As doctors, we worship our critical care units and pray for the opportunity to extend a person’s life, if only for another day or week. Patients, by contrast, worry about being prisoners in their own body. A better healthcare system starts with a better understanding of what patients want out of their lives and the care they receive.
Thank you to those who voted. To participate in future surveys, and for access to timely news and opinion on American healthcare, sign up for my free (and ad-free) newsletter Monthly Musings on American Healthcare.
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Dr. Robert Pearl is the former CEO of The Permanente Medical Group, the nation’s largest physician group. He’s a Forbes contributor, bestselling author, Stanford University professor, and host of two healthcare podcasts. Pearl’s newest book, “Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors & Patients,” is available now. Follow him on Twitter @RobertPearlMD.
