EDITORIAL: COSTLY TECHNOLOGY NOT 'ENEMY' OF HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
"Illness, injury and disease" are the real "enemies" of the healthcare system, and not the cost of medical technology innovation, said one health expert in response to a July 20 article in the Pioneer Press on what some are calling a "medical arms race."
Controlling healthcare costs is "not a question of reining in spending, but of allocating funds more efficiently toward sustaining people's health, avoiding disabilities, preserving their independence and maintaining their social and economic viability," Martin Howgill, executive director of the Institute for Health Technology Studies, said in a letter posted on the media outlet's website July 27.
Healthcare advocates including former Sen. David Durenberger (R-Minn.) have suggested a frenzy among hospitals to acquire advanced devices is driving up healthcare costs systemwide. Healthcare expert Michael Porter of Harvard Business School is petitioning devicemakers to adopt new competitive models to alleviate the situation and ensure their own longer-term viability.
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