Is healthcare going to the dogs? In at least one way, it probably should.
While not often spoken of together, physicians and veterinarians share an otherwise unique position of helping people make healthcare decisions in the awkward and charged space between risk, benefit and cost. Both share an ethical requirement to provide the information necessary for informed decision making. Before starting a treatment or procedure, patients (and pet owners) need to understand the potential risks and benefits of their care, as well as the reasonable alternatives.
But veterinarians often share some other important information, information that physicians seldom share, or even know – that being: exactly what will it cost.
When our family dog recently became very sick, my veterinarian shared not only about the diagnosis, her recommended treatment, its risks, benefits and the plausible alternatives, but she also provided a detailed estimate of what Cosmo’s care was going to cost me.
Isn’t it crazy that when it comes to our own healthcare, we don’t get the same information?
