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851 points swyx | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.287s | source
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a-dub ◴[] No.25830760[source]
> "Hmmmm," she said, picking at her fingernails. "Not directly. Of course I always have the best interests of my patients in mind, but, you know, it's not like they'll pay more if I prescribe Lexapro instead of Zoloft. They won't come back more often or refer more friends. So I'd sorta just be, like, donating this money if I paid you for this thing, right?"

this is the problem. the incentives in healthcare are messed up. doctors are paid for their time, not for their outcomes. if a patient comes in and is prescribed a therapy, and they don't have to come back, the doctor should receive more than if the patient returns because the therapy had an issue.

replies(4): >>25830872 #>>25830929 #>>25832395 #>>25837681 #
1. inopinatus ◴[] No.25830929[source]
If you paid doctors by individual outcome then the incentives would be even more messed up, since no-one would want the tough or ambiguous cases.

This is opposite of the desired outcome, which is that the best doctors see the hardest cases.

Always pay professionals for their time. Patients are not widgets.