Why Preventive Medicine isn't embraced by healthcare practicioners
Forrest Duncan's article (http://radio.weblogs.com/0112573/) about how preventive medicine (PM) is not a paying proposition is spot on. But it goes even deeper than that. The mind set of medicine is more ingrained in a treatment approach, not prevention approach. Its part of the culture. I believe this mind set persists because of the reasons below (not all inclusive, just some main thoughts):
--Treatment of an ailment is immediate. The more serious the problem and more 'miraculous' the potential outcome of a treatment intervention the more money and accolades are gained by doing so. A community health nurse makes far less money than a cardio-thoracic surgeon despite the more wide spread positive outcome and lasting affect the community health nurse makes.
--It is seen as more prestigious to specialize as a physician. There is a dearth of family practice physicians, with specialists far outweighing the number of family practice docs. This is why Physician's Assistants and Nurse Practicioners have thrived as a career path. PM docs fit into the same category culturally as FP docs do. So the thought is if you are going to go to medical school you might as well swing for the fences. Which brings me to my next point.
--Medical school costs so much that you need to find a niche that will allow billing at the level that will pay off your debts.
--Some societies are not PM oriented either. Why change your lifestyle (hey, I am no vegetarian myself) when you can have the healthcare system take care of your gluttony, alcohol addiction, and so on. Don't like your lifestyle? We'll get you a new one...Plastic surgeons spend more time (and get more revenues) with boob enhancements than they do for cleft palate repair.
--Better living through chemistry, or as I like to phrase it "Don't Hesitate to Medicate!" There are some truly miraculous drugs out there. If they ever develop one that replaces exercise we are in trouble. Viagra helps thousands of men with erectile dysfunction, but is also used by others wrongly. Costs per pill on miracle drugs are staggering.
I'll wrap it up with this shocking (but true) example: it costs you $3 a pack of cigarettes per day and nicotine replacement gum at the same usage will cost you $8.90 a day. Not quite TRIPLE the cost to maintain your habit.
You have to make preventive medicine more enticing than that.
10:08:00 AM 
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