Stefan Larsson: What doctors can learn from each other | Video on TED.com

Many patients ask me why I have chosen not to contract as a provider with any of the insurance companies.  A number of people don’t choose me as their physician because I am not contracted with insurance companies.   I ran across this TED talk and it made an impression on me.  Are we forgetting about the Patient?  Dr. Stefan Larson points out that most health care systems are based on costs of care and limit the degree of freedom a physician has as a way to hold costs down.  He states that doctors and nurses are the target, as they are the ones making often costly decisions.  “My Colleagues don’t have the full liberty to make choices and make the decisions that they think are right for their patients.”   He shows how doctors learning from each other can create value based health care and increase outcomes.  This is already being done in Sweden.  He predicts a paradigm shift in health care, stating that “the agents of change are the doctors and nurses… ” and talks about development of Global Standards in Health care.  So my answer to those questions about contracting with insurance companies ~ I prefer to be the change by reserving my right as a physician to have the freedom to make the decisions I feel are best for the patient and not their insurance company.