Rvus- Whose Value is It, Anyway?
explosion of new treatments. Likewise, at some point radiologists decided that they could stick needles into kidneys as accurately as any surgeon, and soon radiologists were awash in black ink, and learning to stick needles pretty much anywhere. I don’t know what the parallel path for psychiatrists will be, but it is vital that as insights develop into brain function, psychiatrists lay claim to them, grasp them, and never let them go. There is nothing like a brain procedure to grab society’s interest and respect. In fact, I posit that the simple adoption of the term ‘Interventional Psychiatry’ would increase the funding of psychiatrists and psychiatric research by 20%.
The low priority of mental health services to society is, of course, a complex issue. Stigma, lack of lobbying resources, and denial of the impact of mental illness certainly play roles in the lack of public interest and investment in mental health. Resources are thin for the unemployed and uninsured mentally ill, and the field of psychiatry deserves kudos for attempting to meet the needs of this population in return for little financial gain. But for patients with resources, we must recognize and advocate that mental health care is as important as treatment for a torn ACL, and deserves equitable reimbursement. The abilities to laugh, to work, and to love are as vital as the ability to return to beach volleyball. Psychiatrists must realize that at some point, expectations of relatively low reimbursements and medical standing become self-fulfilling prophecies, as our capitalist society tends to value those most who value themselves. The correction of societal bias and the resultant devaluation of our services will require constant efforts to educate, negotiate, and assert the value of mental health care in a healthy society. And as self-serving as it may be, psychiatrists, as the voices, faces, and business representatives of mental health, will raise the status and treatment of their patients as they work to raise the scientific, and yes, economic, status of themselves as physicians.
The author, Jeffrey T. Junig MD, PhD, has worked as an anesthesiologist, as a pain specialist, and as a psychiatrist. He teaches medical students, and has written a number of scientific and educational articles. He enjoys consulting for businesses, legal firms, and individuals to translate medical records and jargon into usable information. He can be reached through his web site at http://explainmedical.com