3 ms·

My point: the consumers are powerless. Whether doctors are individually powerful or only powerful as a member of an organization is entirely tangential, except

My point: the consumers are powerless. Whether doctors are individually powerful or only powerful as a member of an organization is entirely tangential, except in that the consumer is even less powerful in the second case. EDIT: I now have two people providing evidence that actually reinforces my core point in order to argue with me about a synechdoche. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

chimeracoder 8y ago
> My point: the consumers are powerless. Yes, but that's a far cry from saying the doctors are powerful. They're not. They're powerless too. > Whether doctors are individually powerful or only powerful as a member of an organization is entirely tangential. Doctors are neither powerful as individuals nor as members of any organization. Despite common misconception, they have almost as little power as patients do.
- jjoonathan 8y ago
  s/Doctors/Health Care Providers then. The more you insist on precision, the less accessible this debate becomes. I hope you have a good reason. The salaries say that doctors are more powerful than patients -- but we both agree that they are powerless compared to the organizations that employ them. What of it?
  - chimeracoder 8y ago
    > s/Doctors/Health Care Providers then. The more you insist on precision, the less accessible this debate becomes. I hope you have a good reason. Yes, because there's a big difference between doctors and provider networks, and as I've already explained above, neither has the level of power that people generally believe they do. > The salaries say that doctors are more powerful than patients I have no idea what this is even supposed to mean. You're not comparing like quantities. > we both agree that they are powerless compared to the organizations that employ them. No, we don't, because I've already said that the hospital networks (which employ the majority of doctors these days) don't really have much power either.

chimeracoder 8y ago

> My point: the consumers are powerless. Yes, but that's a far cry from saying the doctors are powerful. They're not. They're powerless too. > Whether doctors are individually powerful or only powerful as a member of an organization is entirely tangential. Doctors are neither powerful as individuals nor as members of any organization. Despite common misconception, they have almost as little power as patients do.

jjoonathan 8y ago
s/Doctors/Health Care Providers then. The more you insist on precision, the less accessible this debate becomes. I hope you have a good reason. The salaries say that doctors are more powerful than patients -- but we both agree that they are powerless compared to the organizations that employ them. What of it?
- chimeracoder 8y ago
  > s/Doctors/Health Care Providers then. The more you insist on precision, the less accessible this debate becomes. I hope you have a good reason. Yes, because there's a big difference between doctors and provider networks, and as I've already explained above, neither has the level of power that people generally believe they do. > The salaries say that doctors are more powerful than patients I have no idea what this is even supposed to mean. You're not comparing like quantities. > we both agree that they are powerless compared to the organizations that employ them. No, we don't, because I've already said that the hospital networks (which employ the majority of doctors these days) don't really have much power either.