Today's Doctors Are Without a Moral Code

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Normally I do not write about women'shealth or gestational diabetes. This is one time I feel I must asthe doctors are showing their true colors and arguing against makingchanges to the guidelines for gestational diabetes. If they weresupporting changes, then I would not be writing this. However, thistime I think they have abandoned the Hippocratic Oath in favor ofprofits and this does not seem the proper thing for doctors to comeout in favor of doing.
At issue is some in obstetrics andgynecology and maternal-fetal medicine have advocated for change tothe diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes for some time now,while others, including the American College of Obstetricians andGynecologists, say it is not clear that change is needed. Someinformation is needed here. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA),money will be available for doctors to reduce medical costs at alllevels of medical care. This is what doctors are afraid of losing ifnew guidelines are put in place tightening the diagnosis andtreatment of gestational diabetes.
The upcoming Consensus DevelopmentConference in early 2013 is to assess available scientific evidencefor gestational diabetes. In advance of this conference, theopposition is writing articles in opposition to possible changes. The authors advised that "such a changewould dramatically increase the number of women identified as havingthis disease and place a significantly greater burden on an alreadyoverburdened primary health care system. We have concluded thatbefore change is made, there needs to be careful analysis of thepossible risk, cost and benefit involved in any revisions. If thedata aren't available to answer these questions, it would seemprudent and advisable to delay change at this time."
Follow the dollar signs is all I canderive from the discussion. Normally doctors look to the health ofthe patients (mother and unborn child in this case) and forget aboutthe cost-benefit analysis in favor of health. This time the medicalcommunity is placing the emphasis on the cost-benefit analysisinstead to the health issues. “Gestationaldiabetes is a condition that can be potentially devastating topregnancies. Even mild forms of hyperglycemia could potentially posesignificant adverse health consequences for pregnant women and theirchildren. Advocates for changing diagnostic criteria - increasing thenumber of women diagnosed with and thus treated for the condition -could reduce morbidity and health care costs. Those cost reductions,however, could be offset by an increase in patients diagnosed andtreated.”
Each side is bringing in the big gunsto bolster their arguments and they are quoting study after study onboth sides of the issue. For those on the “do not change” side,I feel they have lost their moral compass and are only interested inthe dollars they can divert to their pockets. I can only suggestthat you read the article and decide for yourself, which side of theissue you favor. The second article is here.
This just came to my attention - TomRoss has an excellent blog on the same topic.  Read it here.