In talking to people about the problems with the US healthcare system, two fundamental truths have become apparent.
First, people really want the type of healthcare that is envisioned in science fiction such as Star Trek, where almost any ailment is treated with a single injection or pill, or a few waves of a healing wand. Unfortunately, medical science hasn’t accomplished that, except in a few instances – antibiotics for a bacterial infection, or perhaps relocating a dislocated finger or shoulder (and those still require weeks to heal and therapy to regain strength and mobility).
And second, the ongoing problem of healthcare literacy and communications may be getting worse as the complexity of medical treatments increases.…