As stated in one of Zeno’s nine paradoxes, an arrow in flight is “somewhere” and “somewhere in transit”, implying the flow of time as a continuum. Thereafter, approximately a thousand years after Zeno, the theologian Augustine of Hippo attempted to categorize time by writing, “perhaps it would be exact to say: there are three times -… Continue reading The Present of Things Past
Category: Health Economics
Culture Clash
William Faulkner wrote, “all human behavior is unpredictable, and considering man’s frailty...and the ramshackle universe he functions in, it’s all irrational.” Despite this claim, scientists from disciplines ranging from economics and mathematics to anthropology and psychology have laboriously attempted to uncover patterns within the morass. Game theory is one such approach that starts with the… Continue reading Culture Clash
Similarities in Dissimilars
The name Homo sapiens was applied by the 18th-century taxonomist Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. Sapien - the wise - suggests that the defining attribute of our species is a distinct and unparalleled cognition. We think differently from all other animals, and we are able to share those thoughts with one another in ways that are… Continue reading Similarities in Dissimilars
Fisheries, forests, & emergency care
In my last essay, I made the case that emergency care in the United States is better classified as a common rather than a public good. Due to the passage of the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA), emergency care became non-excludable and because it is resource constrained, it is rival. Patients are streaming… Continue reading Fisheries, forests, & emergency care
Technology Driven Triple Aim
The triple aim is a framework developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement that describes an approach to optimizing health system performance. The goal is to improve the quality of care and the health of population while decreasing the cost of health care. The Patient Protection and Privacy Affordable Care Act (PPACA or ‘Obamacare) was… Continue reading Technology Driven Triple Aim
Death panels (or living with dignity)
The US population is aging, as by 2030 the number of people in the US over the age of 85 is expected to double to 8.5 million. Furthermore, as the population ages, the number of people with chronic conditions will increase rapidly. These patients often not only suffer from low quality of life but also… Continue reading Death panels (or living with dignity)
Obesity
I recently read an article by David Freedman in the Atlantic titled How Junk Food Can End Obesity. He had an interesting viewpoint that I wanted to share and explore. This year, the American Medical Association voted to classify obesity as a disease. According to its classification, currently over 78 million adults and 12 million… Continue reading Obesity
Salient Statistics
Less than 10% of people who lose more than 10% of their body weight will maintain this weight loss for more than a year. Total caloric intake has increased by 18%, total carbohydrate intake has increased by 41% since 1978. Obesity rate has more than doubled since the 1970s. Prevalence of centenarians: 1830: 2% 1990:… Continue reading Salient Statistics
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