Health Care Community Discussion Results - Part I

“Prevention needs to be a force in the health care system,” said one of the participants at the Health Care Community Discussion that I recently conducted. Prevention was a theme of our discussion. The Obama-Biden Transition Team is interested in knowing if attendees are familiar with the types of prevention services American should receive - mammography, flu shots and cholesterol screening - and had they gotten the recommended prevention. I’m glad to report that all the female participants have had a mammogram and all participants had flu shots and cholesterol screening this year.

Another participant said that “Health care begins at 65,” elaborating that once Medicare kicks, people are more likely to seek health care services since many were uninsured or underinsured.

Another area of concern is the disorganization and lack of integration of health care services. Electronic medical records, and particularly personal health records, along with improved health IT systems was offered as a solution.

The Obama-Biden Transition Team is interested in compelling personal stories from attendees about the need for health care reform. One participants said “I had to breakdown [caused by bipolar disorder] to get help. I needed a diagnosis before getting good care.” Another member of the group conveyed a story of newborns that were given a drastic overdose of medication.

More results to follow.