Inspired by the new season of Fixing Healthcare, this survey looked at the various parts of the healthcare system in search of solutions. It asked which key players are helping the cause of fixing healthcare and which ones are standing in the way of progress. Here are the results:
My thoughts: It’s clear who fans of Fixing Healthcare see as the least likely to solve our nation’s healthcare problems: insurance companies, drug companies and the hospital industry. I’m impressed that respondents are looking to doctors to lead the way—I hope they do. However, more than 20% of voters also see doctors as standing in the way of progress—I hope that changes. Now is the time for physicians to decide what the future will hold. Doctors are much more than victims of a broken system. They have the power to drive both necessary systemic change and transform the parts of medical culture that hold us back.
Thanks to all 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.
