Blendon R J, Rogers D E
JAMA. 1983 Oct 14;250(14):1880-5.
A serious slowdown in the nation's economy has led to widespread agreement that the rate of escalation of medical care costs must be slowed. In responding to the pressures to cut costs, physicians need to be guided by the basic tenet of medicine: first do no harm. In recent years, this nation has made extraordinary progress in improving health and longevity. A recent study suggestively links reductions in mortality to increased expenditures for health. Thus, physicians should watch closely how the nation reduces medical care expenses. We suggest a series of yardsticks that might track the effects of the nation's cost-cutting efforts on personal health. Keeping a careful eye on where people receive care, how frequently they see a physician, trends in mortality, and the adequacy or timeliness of care could help us keep our sights set on the continuing improvement of the health of Americans.
该国经济的严重放缓已导致人们普遍达成共识，即医疗费用的上涨速度必须放缓。在应对削减成本的压力时，医生需要遵循医学的基本原则：首先不要造成伤害。近年来，该国在改善健康和延长寿命方面取得了非凡的进展。最近的一项研究暗示死亡率的降低与健康支出的增加有关。因此，医生应密切关注该国如何降低医疗费用。我们提出了一系列衡量标准，这些标准可能会跟踪该国削减成本的努力对个人健康的影响。密切关注人们接受治疗的地点、看医生的频率、死亡率趋势以及治疗的充分性或及时性，有助于我们将目光投向持续改善美国人的健康状况。
