TOW #3- Trapped in the System: A Sick Doctor’s Story

The idea of universal access to healthcare has been a buzzing topic within the United States. With the Affordable Care Act and the push to provide cheaper medication, the current system has recently made greats strides. Yet, despite these improvements, access to these services has remained stagnant. From the unique perspective of a doctor, the New York Times article Trapped in the System: A Sick Doctor’s Story, attempts to shed light on the flaws of the new health system. 

The author, Dr. Aaron E. Carroll describes the system from both a doctor viewpoint, as well as a patient. Within the column, he describes his own experience with ulcerative colitis, and his attempts to get his medication.  He describes the rigamoral he goes through every three months by using repetition. “In order to get more, I need a new prescription. In order to get the prescription, I need to have lab testing to prove to my doctor that I don’t have anemia. This all sounds simple, and it’s the same process every three months. But it’s never the same, and it’s never easy.” This arduous, and overly complex ritual he goes through in order to get his critical medicine shows how broken the system is. As the article continues on, Dr. Carroll tells us about his monthly blood test and how, “because the laboratory and my doctor are in completely different health care systems, the lab results won’t show up in my doctor’s electronic database.” Later, he openly tells the reader about his condition, and makes funny commentary about his incessant need to use the bathroom and his ability, “to make use of my babies’ diapers in cases of emergencies.” By masterfully using anecdotes, Dr. Carroll successfully able to highlight the struggle for his different health providers to work in cohesion, as well as make him a credible patient.

By the end of the article, even those who haven’t had the need to receive medication can sympathize with the long tedious process both Dr. Carroll and millions go through. Even with his expansion knowledge about the health care, he himself stills has lots of trouble navigating a simple refilling of his medication. It proves as tribute to where the United States was in terms of medical services, as well as where it needs to i