Possible Solutions

Finding solutions to the problems in the US healthcare system can be daunting. Many of the problems are a product of the way healthcare is structured in America; fixing that would require a massive overhaul of the entire healthcare system. For example, the US could address its problem of high rates of uninsured individuals by moving to a truly universal healthcare model. Since all other developed nations are already using some version of this, there is a plentiful amount of data and case studies the US could rely on to help make the transition effectively. However, voters would need to be better informed about depth and scope the healthcare problems in the US, in order for them to vote in necessary changes. Insuring all individuals in America would likely decrease emergency room visits and disease severity by allowing patients to establish a continuing, cost-free relationship with a PCP. That PCP could provide preventative health care, health education, and early disease and illness treatment (McWilliams, 2009).

Another possible solution is to curb wasteful medical spending. The types of excessive expenditures described in the previous section could potentially be helped by teaching healthcare providers to be better communicators. This would enable them to explain their chosen course of testing and treatment to worried patients. Doctors who are effective communicators are also better able to establish relationships of trust with their patients. Another tactic would be to focus on educating patients more about the health conditions they have, so that instead of getting their information from friends and the Internet, they could have reliable information from their practitioner (Sabbatini et al., 2014). Finally, creating standardized diagnostic plans for specific medical issues could help reduce wasteful spending because it would allow practitioners to be legally protected by following a research-based plan of care. That way, they would potentially be less worried about being sued for negligence for treating only a patient’s presenting problem as opposed to looking for head-to-toe maladies.