Capitalism Versus Compassion: Can Healthcare Do Both?
— Our system must better balance profits with the needs of patients
by N. Adam Brown, MD, MBA April 22, 2023
I'm the only physician in the emergency room. There are still several patients to see. The waiting room is overflowing, and the mountain of paperwork grows.
I know there are consequences if I don't document what I've done, what I've seen, thought, heard, and who I've talked to.
But then a patient's family member knocks on the door and says "Doc, can we talk about my mom? I'm worried."
I want to talk with this person. I want to talk about her mom's prognosis and how her family should prepare. But I have other patients, and that mountain of paperwork keeps nagging at my subconscious. I speak with her, but I'm in a rush. She senses that.
She is upset. But so am I. This family doesn't feel like I've listened to them. And it's extremely important that I do -- for the sake of their mother's health, but also for my mental well being as a caregiver.
The simple act of taking time and listening is one of the most important components of patient care. But as physicians we feel we do not have time to listen, much less harness and demonstrate compassion. According to a University of Chicago study from last year, it would take a primary care physician 26.7 hours per day to provide complete, guideline-based care for their average number of patients.
These facts have consequences. According to a survey by the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation, more than 82% of Americans believe the U.S. healthcare system puts profits over patients.
Healthcare workers enter the field to help patients. And patients expect us to help them. They want to be heard. They want us to listen. They want to be treated equitably, with compassion, and ultimately, to feel better. Compassionate care involves acknowledging the emotional distress and suffering of others, along with acting to improve their situation through motivation and relational efforts.
That is not happening in the U.S. today. And it won't happen until regulatory controls are used as a check on our capitalist system to better balance profits with the needs of our patients.
