The problem with both these 'sectors', in my view, is that it is almost impossible for the doctor/vet to actually act in the patient's interests.
The doctors have to worry about lawsuits, giving the correct (pharmaceutical) treatment. The vets are better, but really I've been unimpressed with the care - lots of unnecessary cutting for the sake of insurance, sterilisation, etc.
The background reason is that the incentives are 180° in the wrong direction. Practioners aren't paid for keeping you healthy, out of hospital, managing health by better diet selection, etc. Their 'best' scenario is the opposite to that - they want a long protracted illness with lots of treatment. Diabetes for example is a blessing, not a curse. Long illnesses pay the bills.
Not only this, but doctors are fully boxed in with dysfunctional protocols/treatments (wrt the patient's best interests) as insurance companies' 'best practice', etc inculcate a set of behaviours that suit pharmaceutical corps that pay their bills.
So the incentives and model are all wrong. But they are also hardened in law, insurance etc. So apparently we must proceed on this flawed model.
But for the individual, for me at least, I do not plan to visit a doctor. Except in narrow circumstances (burns, force trauma) even if the practioners are considering my care (in the old-fashioned sense of the word), I don't think I can trust them to actually do the right thing, so fully deputised are they to big pharma. I have far more faith in my ability to resolve a problem myself or in alternative health practioners. The same applies to vets, to a lesser extent.
The doctors have to worry about lawsuits, giving the correct (pharmaceutical) treatment. The vets are better, but really I've been unimpressed with the care - lots of unnecessary cutting for the sake of insurance, sterilisation, etc.
The background reason is that the incentives are 180° in the wrong direction. Practioners aren't paid for keeping you healthy, out of hospital, managing health by better diet selection, etc. Their 'best' scenario is the opposite to that - they want a long protracted illness with lots of treatment. Diabetes for example is a blessing, not a curse. Long illnesses pay the bills.
Not only this, but doctors are fully boxed in with dysfunctional protocols/treatments (wrt the patient's best interests) as insurance companies' 'best practice', etc inculcate a set of behaviours that suit pharmaceutical corps that pay their bills.
So the incentives and model are all wrong. But they are also hardened in law, insurance etc. So apparently we must proceed on this flawed model.
But for the individual, for me at least, I do not plan to visit a doctor. Except in narrow circumstances (burns, force trauma) even if the practioners are considering my care (in the old-fashioned sense of the word), I don't think I can trust them to actually do the right thing, so fully deputised are they to big pharma. I have far more faith in my ability to resolve a problem myself or in alternative health practioners. The same applies to vets, to a lesser extent.