HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Treat Me Like a Dog: What Human Health Care Can Learn from Pet Care

Views:945
@ReasonVids

When it comes to health care, who gets treated better—man or man's best friend?

Of course, it's hard to make an apples-to-apples comparison when you're comparing four-legged patients to people, and there are many ways in which human care tops pet care.

But pet owners told Reason.tv there are some ways where it would be a step up to be treated like a dog. 



Pet owners like the convenience of animal care; they also like the client-focused atmosphere. "I think one of the things that human health care can learn from veterinary medicine is the client service side of things, the relationship side of things," says Dr. Peter Weinstein, executive director of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association.

Various reasons explain why people often find animal care so pleasant, says Weinstein. One reason—animal care workers love what they do. Another reason—competition. 

Weinstein notes that vets work hard to differentiate themselves from their competitors because "there are a large number of vet hospitals, many located very closely to one another."

And vets know even more competitors could emerge because less red tape makes it easier to open an animal hospital. Weinstein recalls opening his clinic, which offered everything from X-rays to operations: "I believe it was 12 weeks from the time I signed the lease to the time I saw my first client. Try doing that with human health care."



It would take at least 20 times as long to open a comparable human hospital in California. It can take even longer in the 34 states with "certificate of need" (CON) laws, where state agencies—not consumers—decide how many hospitals there should be. These laws even allow existing hospitals to hold up plans for new hospitals. "The existing hospitals go in front of these government agencies and say, 'we don't need any competitors; we're taking fine care of the people,'" explains Reason magazine's Ronald Bailey.

Recently, certificate of need—often called CON law—provoked a showdown in Tennessee where frustrated residents resorted to protests and petition drives to pressure the state to green-light a new hospital.

Weinstein is happy veterinarians don't have to deal with anti-competitive CON laws, "In veterinary medicine we could have two practices right next to each other and then it's the consumer deciding to whom they want to go."

Consumer choice and competition—maybe we could use more of that in human health care.


"Treat Me Like a Dog" is written and produced by Ted Balaker, who also hosts. The director of photography is Alex Manning, the field producer is Paul Detrick and the animations were done by Hawk Jensen.

Go to http://reason.tv for iPod, HD, and audio versions of all Reason videos. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and get automatic notifications when new material goes live.

reason.tv
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.org
,
health care
,
hospitals
,
reason foundation
,
obama
,
reform
    Thumbnail for Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for February 20101:11
    Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for February 2010
    ReasonVids
    911 views
    Thumbnail for Stossel: Jordan Peterson vs. “Social Justice Warriors”7:19
    Stossel: Jordan Peterson vs. “Social Justice Warriors”
    ReasonVids
    866 views
    Thumbnail for Fight for Your Right to Garden! LA Targets Urban Planters.3:39
    Fight for Your Right to Garden! LA Targets Urban Planters.
    ReasonVids
    929 views
    Thumbnail for Reporter Tries To Frighten Witness of Waukesha Massacre Into Changing Description of Suspect To Something Other Than "Black Male With Dreadlocks"0:43
    Reporter Tries To Frighten Witness of Waukesha Massacre Into Changing Description of Suspect To Something Other Than "Black Male With Dreadlocks"
    AOU
    1328 views
    Thumbnail for Stop Hating On Israel0:07
    Stop Hating On Israel
    SmashTheJourgeoisie
    1753 views
    Thumbnail for The Best of the Worst of 2014: Don’t Cops Have Better Things to Do?2:07
    The Best of the Worst of 2014: Don’t Cops Have Better Things to Do?
    ReasonVids
    819 views
    Thumbnail for Don't Be That Guy | Grunt Speak Highlights5:54
    Don't Be That Guy | Grunt Speak Highlights
    Terrence Popp
    1176 views
    Thumbnail for Is Harrisburg's Nightmare America's Future?6:59
    Is Harrisburg's Nightmare America's Future?
    ReasonVids
    861 views
    Thumbnail for プロジェクトセカイ プロセカ放送局 #2 | プロジェクトセカイ カラフルステージ! feat. 初音ミク2:08:05
    プロジェクトセカイ プロセカ放送局 #2 | プロジェクトセカイ カラフルステージ! feat. 初音ミク
    invidious
    409 views
    Thumbnail for LIVE DRAW TOTO MACAU | LIVE MACAU | lofi hip hop radio 📚 - beats to relax/study to | LIVE TOTO MACAU11:54:58
    LIVE DRAW TOTO MACAU | LIVE MACAU | lofi hip hop radio 📚 - beats to relax/study to | LIVE TOTO MACAU
    invidious
    283 views
    Thumbnail for Someone got murdered in Portland just now0:11
    Someone got murdered in Portland just now
    AOU
    1606 views
    Thumbnail for History lesson0:13
    History lesson
    bestofupgoat
    458 views
    Thumbnail for Consumerism, Sex, Advertising, and Human Nature: A Talk With Evolutionary Psychologist Gad Saad9:50
    Consumerism, Sex, Advertising, and Human Nature: A Talk With Evolutionary Psychologist Gad Saad
    ReasonVids
    968 views
    Thumbnail for Silicon Valley Wants to Teach Your Kids8:03
    Silicon Valley Wants to Teach Your Kids
    ReasonVids
    924 views
    Thumbnail for Taco Truck Takedown: Why is the LAPD hassling food carts?2:34
    Taco Truck Takedown: Why is the LAPD hassling food carts?
    ReasonVids
    996 views
    Thumbnail for Gil's Arena THROWS A Watch Party For Lakers vs Bucks | Gil's Arena2:36:25
    Gil's Arena THROWS A Watch Party For Lakers vs Bucks | Gil's Arena
    invidious
    98 views
    Thumbnail for how @Zyklonbeekeeper handles a bug problem in the north of his province2:37
    how @Zyklonbeekeeper handles a bug problem in the north of his province
    bestofupgoat
    446 views
    Thumbnail for Let's Get This Party Started!0:47
    Let's Get This Party Started!
    bestofupgoat
    451 views
    Thumbnail for Linguo2:28
    Linguo
    clips
    791 views
    Thumbnail for Independents Day is June 28! Pre-Order Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch's libertarian manifesto today!1:26
    Independents Day is June 28! Pre-Order Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch's libertarian manifesto today!
    ReasonVids
    958 views
    Thumbnail for Wasserwaffen Thot Patrol0:55
    Wasserwaffen Thot Patrol
    voatcatbox
    514 views
    Thumbnail for Starfish0:24
    Starfish
    bestofupgoat
    352 views
    Thumbnail for Constant supervision 0:30
    Constant supervision
    bestofupgoat
    21 views
    Thumbnail for Maximum chutzpah: ironybomb of the day 1:16
    Maximum chutzpah: ironybomb of the day
    bestofupgoat
    281 views
    Thumbnail for "We fought the wrong people". General Patton0:20
    "We fought the wrong people". General Patton
    bestofupgoat
    423 views

points

Permalink
Reply
reason.tv
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.org
,
health care
,
hospitals
,
reason foundation
,
obama
,
reform
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle