Heal Thyself, US Medical Industry
Our medical industry is suffering from systemic dysfunction. The drivers behind much of this dysfunction are two-fold: conflict of interest and lack of transparency. The net result is eroded trust and reduced effectiveness.
As a society, we can and must do better. Doing so will require us to collectively demand more from the various participants in the system.
Today I would like to share with you our perspective here at XY Wellness on what the core issues are, and on what reforms we would like to see take place.
To begin, we believe that the potential side effects of a recommended course of treatment should never be more serious than the health condition now being treated.
We believe that it should not be allowable for a pharmaceutical company to pay a doctor to promote and prescribe its drugs. Nor for a doctor to consider accepting such payment, and if they do, to fail to disclose it.
We believe that it should not be allowable for a medical company to fund "independent" research on the efficacy of its own products. Nor for a legitimate research entity to consider accepting such funding, and if it does, to fail to disclose it.
We believe that media outlets need to act less like social media and more like trusted gatekeepers by halting its recent practice of publishing medical headlines without properly vetting the referenced studies.
We believe that the peer review process in academic journals needs to be strengthened in order to reduce instances of flawed studies, and that all published research must fully disclose its funding sources.
We believe that medical schools should offer its students formal training in nutritional support, and that an M.D. who lacks such formal training should never be presented as an authority on it in a public forum.
We believe in a whole patient care so that a man diagnosed with a prostate condition is seen and treated as the whole man with quality-of-life considerations rather than just a prostate.
We believe in encouraging lifestyle-based approaches to health as opposed to relying on remedies for often avoidable diagnosed conditions.
In other words, we believe in a proactive health system as opposed to a reactive health care system.
We believe, once again, in the elimination of conflict of interest and in a requirement for transparency, and believe that much of the current dysfunction in our medical industry will be eradicated by it.
Change will only start with each of us demanding more.
We encourage you to be a smart, savvy consumer of medical services, products, and information. Be choosy. Ask good questions, and demand equally good answers and full disclosure.
You deserve it, and it is available to you. Why should you settle for anything less?
All the Best,
David, Co-founder & CEO