Our Healthcare System – From awareness to a solution – Flawed Scientific Method

Our Healthcare System – From awareness to a solution – Flawed Scientific Method

Along with the rest of our society I have been watching the evolution and creation of a health care system that can provide all US citizens affordable and attainable healthcare.

For the past 30 years, I have observed and experience the ups and downs of Western Medicine while comparing it to Oriental Medicine and other natural modalities.

I have many friends who are Surgeons, Cardiologists and MD’s. In 1993 at the age of 40 I chose to go back to school and add to my engineering degree and study Chinese Medicine to assist me in dealing with the most important equipment I ever managed – human beings. I received a degree in 1996.

My life experience has led me to see many things in the arena of medicine. My brother died at 44 of a heart attacks and my father lived a good life but died of pancreatic cancer at 82. I saw what lifestyle does, what prevention can and can’t do and what drugs work and what drugs kill.

Recently my questioning led me to evaluating scientific method as used in the decision making process for healing in our society. I realized something profound – “That scientific method, as it is being applied to the healing of people, is flawed”.

How could a health care system that bases itself on protocols inside a system of thinking and science that is flawed succeed? The protocols are set up by pharmaceutical companies whose first and most present need is to stay in business and make a profit. One huge flaw is that if the protocols are not followed the doctors and hospitals are subject to malpractice. This creates a fear based system that does not serve the patient but the pharmaceuticals.

There is an inherent fallacy in the system – “that science explains everything”. There are many elements that are not scientific and difficult to quantify yet help people towards their path to better health. For example- how we think, how we laugh, how we communicate, how we love. The present system also negates natural healing. The FDA regulations take methods that have worked for centuries and has restricted and controlled them to the point that those with experience and knowledge live in fear of consequences should they not follow “the imposed protocols”. Insurance companies either do not recognize natural healing or greatly limit and recognize the validity of their use.

Please understand this citizen’s opinion in whole. I do not believe all the protocol is bad – the existing protocol is just incomplete.

I have come up with a few suggestions that I believe would help reduce the cost of our healthcare system, provide better quality choices for people, provide affordable health care for more and actually create a healthier society.

These are my suggestion:

1. That the ban on health claims for natural remedies be changed to allow companies to make claims without having to spend millions upon millions of dollars to get approval from the FDA. Their claims would include disclaimers as to the limitations of the research done. This would mean that for example if goldenseal has been found over the centuries to fight infections then the claims should be allowed on the label. If there are claims that vitamin D prevents the flu then this claim should be allowed and not restricted until a pharmaceutical “scientifically” isolates the active ingredient and patents it.
2. Practitioners of natural medicine with systems of herbs and healing protocols that help people should not have to leave the country and open websites overseas to practice. They should be allowed and have disclaimers as to the extent of their research of experience and practice here.
3. That an individual seeing a doctor, other health care practitioner or natural healing modality be given choices as to using pharmaceutical protocols, natural herb protocols, lifestyle changes and dietary approaches. A signature form would be standard and everyone would need to sign it showing that they are at choice taking the responsibility away from the doctor and thus reducing or eliminating liability. It must be simple and to the point.
4. That the massive lobbying being done by insurance companies and pharmaceuticals be stopped and replaced by the hiring of a cross section of impartial experts in all healthcare modalities and insurance to provide our decision makers with accurate and unbiased information to make proper decisions as to what is best. This could be funded by the same companies paying the lobbyist for a fraction of what is being spent presently.

I constantly hear stories from Medical Practitioners, nurses and doctors as to the fear based protocols they must follow and how they cannot be sincere with patients. This must stop. We have taken the heart and spirit out of the art of healing. Let’s put it back.

Jacob Barrocas – Sustainability Consultant