Book Nook: Health Guardianship -The Remedy to the Sick Care System

 America’s healthcare system is the most expensive in the world, but more money hasn’t equated to better patient outcomes, explains surgeon-scientist Firouz Daneshgari. Consider this: Americans spend 300-500% more than those in Europe or Japan on healthcare, but our country consistently ranks between 30th-40th in the World Health Organization’s ratings for patient longevity, access to care and prevalence of chronic conditions. What’s worse, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Only heart disease and cancer claim more lives. Why are we spending so much, but getting so little?

 

In his new book, Health Guardianship: The Remedy to the Sick Care System, Dr. Daneshgari draws upon more than 30 years of research to offer an unflinching exploration into the systemic dysfunction caused (primarily) by America’s fee-for-service healthcare model. Procedures and surgeries generate revenue; healthy people don’t. Can our healthcare system be healed?

 

“We have built a system specialized for sick care, and yet ironically we expect the results of ‘healthcare’ from it,” he said.

 

Daneshgari details a framework for a new healthcare paradigm that prioritizes mitigation of health risks and elimination of chronic conditions, and rewards guardianship of health, not delivery of sick care services.

 

“My aim is to generate a national dialogue and movement toward a path forward that will create the next model of healthcare delivery. A model that will have all the medical and technological advances, and yet it is accessible, affordable, high quality and consumer-centric and not provider-centric,” Daneshgari said.

 

He describes how this new model can be implemented using the existing primary care infrastructure, with the integration of virtual health and wellness services to make proactive, consumer-centric healthcare as convenient and affordable as shopping and banking.

 

Acting like a whistle blower who calls out the existing dysfunction of the system, Daneshgari offers an imminently available remedy that would create the next generation of healthcare that is accessible to all, affordable by everyone and will provide the quality desired by healthcare consumers.

 

About the Author

Firouz Daneshgari, M.D., is a surgeon-scientist, educator and entrepreneur who has worked at the University of Colorado, Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University. He has published more than 200 scientific articles, led numerous scientific and clinical panels, and trained hundreds of students, residents, fellows and junior faculty. 

 

Following implementation of the Affordable Care Act and approval of its mandates by the Supreme Court during 2010-2012, he founded BowTie Medical to create systematic innovations for bringing efficiency and value into the healthcare delivery system. 

 

In addition to Health Guardianship, Daneshgari shares his views on healthcare and the path forward through his podcast, Why Can’t We Have it All? The Missing Pieces in Our Healthcare (www.wcwha.com).

 

For more information, visit www.bowtiemedical.com.