[Art]

Interesting and  quite logical point of view from Niven Narain during this interview.

http://www.wsj.com/video/could-artificial-intelligence-revamp-health-care/9E307417-5857-418F-B19B-A5D9F8248A10.html

Of course it could be secretly be plotting everyone's demise....

[DemonRaven]

Frankly considering most doctors in the usa specialize to the point of not being able to diagnose anything beyond the tiny area they studied i think it would be a great idea and eliminate a lot of problems. My old general practitioner could say what was probably wrong based on what i stated and his examination and sending me to a specialist was just to confirm it and get it taken care of. The new ones that they have now back off and say no you have to see so and so and then you put up with all kinds of tests to see what is wrong. Then they send you to other specialists who then tell you if they are right. By the time they are done with you the thought of going to the doctor again is not a good one.

[Art]

Yep, in the old days of medicine (say 1950 - 1960's), a lot of doctors were general practitioners and practiced family medicine. They could deal with practically everything from vaccinations, mumps, measles, chickenpox, coughs, broken bones, x-rays, pregnancy, birthing and just about every other thing not covered here. A lot of them even made house calls!! Most arrangements were made between patient and doctor, NOT insurance companies.

These good old doctors got things pretty right 90 percent or better of the time.

Then came the "Specialists", who center their study on one topic or in one area. Now, the patient must be referred to these specialists by the family physician, papers submitted to some administrators who decide what is to be paid, how much, percentage and to whom, what's not covered and what insurance is going to cover, etc.... Now we have socialized medicine where...well...you know how well that works....

[DemonRaven]

the socialized medicine is not the problem. The problem is the specialization which ends up costing much more because they send you to all kinds of different doctors. Mayo clinic in minnesota is a perfect example of this so called team approach which ends up making you see four different doctors who all tell you the same thing. It is a waste of time and money.