Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Are Doctors Really Medical Mechanics

Robin Cook, bestseller author and physician (does he still practice?), has an op-ed piece in The New York Times today in which he decries the state of the primary care physician and calls for them to be paid by the hour.

His ideas certainly deserve study. But why stop there. If Dr. Cook doesn't like the current share of American medicine, perhaps he should consider calling for a complete revamping.

Instead of going to the idea of doctors as medical mechanics, maybe it's time to revisit the call for universal health care.