Should individuals be free to take their routine health into their own hands?
We came across an excellent article today in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons on the topic of the ability of individuals to bypass what the author believes is a monopoly in the medical industry. He submits that advances in technology have allowed the individual to make quantitative measurements of their health (or ideally, even a small, independent doctor to do so, if laws did not punish him for it). Of particular interest is the author’s own personal experience with restricted access to quantitative diagnostic tools, which cost his wife her life. Surprisingly, the article doesn’t even make mention of this as a key point, though it is a powerful real-life example of what can occur and what can be prevented.
What are your thoughts? Post ’em to comments.