Health care delivery and the training of surgeons

Most countries have mastered the art of cost containment by global budgeting for public expenditure. It is not as yet clear whether the other option, managed care, or managed competition will accomplish cost control in America. Robert Evans, a Canadian health care expert, remains skeptical. He says, "HMO's are the future, always have been and always will be." With few exceptions, the amount spent on health care is not a function of the system but of the gross domestic product per person. Great Britain is below the line expected for expenditure, which may be due to truly impressive waiting lists. The United States is above the line, which is probably related to the overhead costs to administer the system and the strong demand by patients for prompt and highly sophisticated diagnostic measures and treatments. Canada is on the line, but no other country has subscribed to the Canadian veto on private insurance. Reform or changes are occurring in all countries and will continue to do so. For example, we are as terrified of managed care in Canada as you are of our brand of socialized insurance. We distrust practice by protocol just as you abhor waiting lists. From my perspective as a surgeon, I envision an ideal system that would cover all citizens, would maintain choice of surgeon by patients, would provide mechanisms for cost containment that would have the active and continuous participation of the medical profession, and would provide for research and development. Any alteration in health care delivery in the United States that compromises biomedical research and development will be a retrogressive, expensive step that could adversely affect the health of nations everywhere. Finally, a continuing priority of our training programs must be to ensure that the surgeon participating in this system continues to treat each patient as an individual with concern for his or her own needs.