I read an interesting article today reporting the findings from a poll that seriously contradict what the White House and the AMA have been suggesting about the way medical professionals feel about the proposed bill to overhaul the health care system. And while I can’t say I’m surprised at the overwhelming negative response to the plan – the statistics speak volumes.

An IBD/TIPP poll found the following:

– 45% of doctors polled said they would consider leaving their practice or retiring early if the proposed health care bill was to pass

– 65% or 2 out of 3 practicing physicians polled say they oppose the plan

– 72% of doctors polled disagree with the administration’s claim that the government can cover 47 million more Americans with better quality care and at a lower cost

Click here to read the full article

I think there’s some truth to this study – and here’s why…

Right now, doctors are caught between a rock and a hard place and we have very few alternatives – many doctors have already started moving to other parts of the country where there is less government regulation on how they run their practice. What we are finding – and will continue to find with this health care bill looming – is that doctors have already started dropping their private practices and taking hospital jobs. Many are changing specialties or plan on not offering certain procedures because of strict government regulation once we move toward a universalized health care system – and for those doctors to perform procedure using local hospital facilities, well, that costs money, too. We’ve been facing a primary care doctor shortage for years now, and the numbers continue to drop. All of these things have a negative impact on the quality of care patients receive.

So I want to do a little research of my own. I want to hear what YOU think – especially if you’re a doctor or in the medical field. How do you feel about the proposed bill and do you think that it will cause doctors to leave the medical field?

Make your voice heard! I’ll be reading some of your comments on FOX & Friends tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m. E.T., where we’ll be discussing this report in more depth.

Can you believe that nine patients in the Austin, Texas-area used the emergency room 2,678 times over the past five years? This fact, reported by the Integrated Care Collaboration, is simply unbelievable until you consider that eight of the nine had a drug abuse problem, and were not doubt using the ER to make sure they had their fix of pain pills.

But this finding points to a larger problem; that our ERs are clogged, that they are often filled with patients for the wrong reasons, that ERs have a limited surge capacity in the event of a catastrophe. At a time when President Obama is considering expanding health coverage to all, the question is how to ease the overuse of ERs so more could be accomodated in a way that isn’t so expensive.

Consider that an average ER visit costs the hospital between $500 and $1000. Consider that ERs are NOT filled with the uninsured. A 2008 study showed that ONLY 14 percent of ER visits involve patients without health insurance. More than 50 percent of visits (most often for minor complaints) are for people who earn more than four times poverty level, and that 29 percent of the people going to ERs are not only insured, they also have regular doctors. Doctors that they can’t get in to see!

We have a growing shortage of doctors – especially primary care doctors. A Texas survey revealed that 60 percent of primary care doctors opted out of accepting Medicare last year. Approximately the same percentage of New York’s primary care doctors are also dropping Medicare. The increasing number of doctors dropping insurance will lead to even more ER visits, as will expanding the number of patients who are covered by insurance.

Imagine what will happen if we decrease reimbursements to doctors (and hospitals) further. ERs will be flooded, and no one will get taken care of.

Dr. Marc Siegel is an internist and associate professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. He is a FOX News medical contributor and writes a health column for LA Times, where he examines TV and movies for medical accuracy. Dr. Siegel is the author of “False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear“ and “Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic.”  Read more at www.doctorsiegel.com

These are interesting times we’re in ― to say the least. Over the past couple of weeks, we have all been concentrating on “Octomom” from California, and with new developments in the story everyday, it’s easy to see why she’s been the topic of conversation. I was following the story too, calling for an ethical investigation of the fertility clinic from day one, but with the state of our economy and the country experiencing what could be one of the most pivotal moments in American history, I want to move past that story.

I think it’s time the media starts concentrating on the changes that the Obama administration will be proposing in the future and some of the ideas that have already been approved.

Now, let’s look at the facts … The American health care system needs help! Why? Well, because it is filled with inefficiencies and overpriced operational costs.

How did it get like that? Well, it’s possible the American health care system has seen a lot of the same issues as our financial sector ― which we all know by now is quite a mess. Our financial experts have given us many explanations for the current economic crisis: Many blame the banks for recklessly handing out loans and credit, some blame the public for borrowing more money than they could ever repay, then there’s all the greedy Wall Street executives making profits off back of funds that don’t even exist, and who can forget those elaborate Ponzi schemes that went unnoticed by federal agencies for years.

Well, believe it or not, we have a lot of the same things happening in health care. We have some patients that demand every test in the book on the basis of what they’ve read or seen on television, hospitals that have been enamored with demands because of technological advances and profit margins, and doctors that have concentrated on sub-specialty service, rather than primary care and prevention.

So now, we are all looking to President Obama’s stimulus bill to see how he will resolve these problems. Some of his proposed ideas are very interesting. Electronic medical records, for instance, provide us with computerized data entry on patients, a way to track symptoms, disease processes, a way to dramatically decrease the overutilization of certain tests, minimize medical mistakes both by physicians and hospitals. And down the road, it might even decrease costs.

But many critics worry about privacy issues. I totally agree that patient confidentiality should always be protected. I remember when the new HIPPA laws came into effect under President Clinton, I could not even discuss a patient’s medical condition or get a second opinion from a colleague without getting a written consent from the patient.

But I think that before we start throwing good money in to solve the problems bad money got us into, the way previous financial stimulus plans have, we need to really understand how our current health care system is working, and address the issues that got us here in the first place.

Click here to share your thoughts on my Facebook page.

Ever since the early ‘70s, we have been on the universal precautions bandwagon. 

First, we introduced latex gloves in the healthcare setting in doctors’ offices and in hospitals.

Next, individuals who prepare and serve food in restaurants, cafeterias, etc. also started using latex rubber gloves.  So what are the chances you can develop an allergic reaction to latex rubber?

The majority of those affected develop only localized symptoms such as skin irritation and burning, itchiness, redness and/or swelling of the hands or those areas exposed to the latex.  Next, are those unlucky allergic people who may have reactions that are more serious and progressive.  Higher-risk areas include the dentist’s office, operating room or emergency department and gynecologists’ offices ― just to name a few.  So get a medical identification card and/or bracelet to inform of your latex allergy! 

So where else do we see allergic reactions to latex rubber?

What am I seeing in my office?  Just the other day, a restaurant owner who supervises food preparation (personally) was exposed to foods and products served by staff who wear latex rubber gloves. When tested, we learned she had become allergic to latex rubber and had two potentially life-threatening reactions as a result of exposure in her own restaurant. 

If you are allergic to latex, be aware you may also react to the following foods: Bananas, avocados, chestnuts, apples, carrots, celery, papayas, kiwi, melons, potatoes and tomatoes.

Finally, defense being your best option, click here  for a consumer-friendly list of products that may contain latex rubber.

Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine. He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. No information in this blog is intended as medical advice to any reader or intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.