The problem with preventive medicine...

Bill Gardner over at Maternal & Child Health has a post up about why our medical system is not more focused on prevention. He asks a startling question:

Do you, as a patient, really want preventive health care? Then you must engage in a lot of time consuming and difficult behavior change (start with daily exercise). You will undergo diagnostic procedures, even when they are embarassing or painful. You must be honest with your doctor about some things you may not even be telling yourself the truth about. Finally, you must spend time going to the doctor even when you feel well. Still interested in health? I thought not. We'll see you again the next time you are  sick.

Who likes going to the doctor? I avoid it whenever possible (not least to avoid having to deal with the inevitable insurance hassles that will follow, but also for all kinds of other reasons...) When I was preggers, however, I loved going to my midwife. Her office was in a big rambling house, the waiting room was more like a lounge and always full of interesting people, the staff were friendly, there were always kids running around, and my midwife was respectful, kind, smart, and paid attention to me. Oh, and I never had to put on a gown, even for a pap smear. And there was a pretty mobile on the ceiling.

You may protest that of course I didn't mind going to the midwife, since I wasn't sick. (Though I sure as hell felt sick when I was pregnant -- but that's another post...) But isn't that the point? Maybe we'd do better with preventive care if it took place somewhere entirely different from sick-person care.