[ESCAPE FIRE: THE FIGHT
TO RESCUE AMERICAN HEALTHCARE
opens in Cleveland on Friday October 5 th exclusively at the Cedar
Lee Theatre. Drs. Arthur Lavin, Peter Degolia, Dena Magoulias,
and Eric Schreiber from Doctors for Health Care Solutions will be
present to answer questions on Saturday, October 6th following the
7:20 pm showing. Dr. Nissen from the Cleveland Clinic will be present
on Sunday, October 7th following the 4:50 pm showing for a Q&A
and will introduce the the 7:20 pm show.]
Review by Bob Ignizio
The documentary ESCAPE FIRE
makes the case that, whether you believe in a socialized single-payer
health care system or prefer a more market-driven approach to
coverage, there are some underlying issues in America's health care
system that can and should be addressed. The chief among these, the
film posits, is that American health care is really more about
disease management. The system currently focuses on treating
symptoms, prescribing medication and/or recommending surgery after
individuals are already ill rather than focusing on preventative
care, which is both cheaper and more effective.
Cleveland,
Ohio may not lead the nation in successful sports teams or job
opportunities (just read any random post on this site from Charles
Cassady, Jr. for more on that side of things), but we do at least
have the Cleveland Clinic, which ESCAPE FIRE
puts forward as something of a model for how the American health care
system could and should work. It's an opinion apparently shared by
both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, both of whom lauded the
institution in this past Wednesday's debates. Some of the things the
Clinic does that increase efficiency and positive outcomes include
making sure redundant tests aren't done and paying their physicians a
set salary rather than basing compensation on the number of
procedures they perform or patients they see.
The
movie also spends a fair amount of time on alternative medicine like
acupuncture, and Dr. Dean Ornish puts forth his belief that a
low-carb vegetarian diet can reverse certain health conditions,
including heart disease and some cancers. While the scientific
evidence for acupuncture as a pain treatment is fairly strong, there
are some valid issues with Ornish's research, and it would have been
nice if the film had mentioned this. Still, it's not as if Ornish's
dietary recommendations are going to hurt anyone, and given the
average American diet, they'll likely be an improvement for most.
Look, I'm not here to be your source of scientific knowledge; I'm
here to review this movie. I'm just saying do a little research on
the claims in this (or any movie that purports to be giving you
factual information) before you incorporate them into your belief
system and lifestyle.
My
objections to a few cases of questionable science aside, this is an
interesting film that explores some of the issues with America's
health care system than generally haven't been talked about by either
party. The fact that we as a nation spend so much more per person on
health care and yet have a far worse outcome than every other western
nation should tell us that something isn't working right. Clearly
something has to change, and while one can argue about the specifics,
the general idea that our focus needs to shift from a treatment model
to one of prevention just makes good sense. 3 out of 4 stars.
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