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Health care has two sides. It saves lives. But it is also the direct cause of 26% of all deaths in the United States. Ch. 1
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Health care is organized to support doctors in delivering tests and treatments, but up to 50% of that activity doesn’t improve people’s health. Ch. 2
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In the past, most people died quickly of infectious diseases such as pneumonia. Today, most people die of diseases they have for years, such as diabetes. As a result, the main actors are no longer doctors who save lives in one visit by giving shots of penicillin. Today, the main actors are all of us – making daily decisions for many years about food, exercise, and so forth. Ch. 3
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The health care system creates a huge power disparity between doctors and patients that reduces your chances of getting what you need. Ch. 9, 10
