Health disparities between the races explain differences in life expectancy which can be traced to severity of illness of chronic illness.
So would the Dartmouth gang and everyone drinking their claims driven kool-aid agree that minorities are suffering from "overuse" of care? Should we reduce the number of screenings, hospitalizations, interventions? Should we not eliminate the disparity that exists in the quality of cancer care and just keep minorities on the older chemo drugs with more toxic side effects because they are "just as effective" or do not improve "overall survival."
In general, where is the hard evidence that the amount of overuse by episodes of treatment linked to severity adjusted outcomes data is greater than the amount of underuse of what is appropriate for subpopulations?
We don't know. But the debate is being cut off in a rush to confirm assumptions that validate a political goal.
Ultimately, such an approach and the sloppy research to support it will deepen the racial divide in health as more and more government financed healthcare is doled out according to "least expensive" practice and restrictions.
There will be a lot babble at tomorrow's White House healthcare summit, happy talk from those giddy over having a "seat at the table," My guess is no one will question whether the comparative effectiveness is tantamount to Jim Crow medicine...
So would the Dartmouth gang and everyone drinking their claims driven kool-aid agree that minorities are suffering from "overuse" of care? Should we reduce the number of screenings, hospitalizations, interventions? Should we not eliminate the disparity that exists in the quality of cancer care and just keep minorities on the older chemo drugs with more toxic side effects because they are "just as effective" or do not improve "overall survival."
In general, where is the hard evidence that the amount of overuse by episodes of treatment linked to severity adjusted outcomes data is greater than the amount of underuse of what is appropriate for subpopulations?
We don't know. But the debate is being cut off in a rush to confirm assumptions that validate a political goal.
Ultimately, such an approach and the sloppy research to support it will deepen the racial divide in health as more and more government financed healthcare is doled out according to "least expensive" practice and restrictions.
There will be a lot babble at tomorrow's White House healthcare summit, happy talk from those giddy over having a "seat at the table," My guess is no one will question whether the comparative effectiveness is tantamount to Jim Crow medicine...
