The Long Fix

Solving America's Health Care Crisis with Strategies That Work for Everyone

By: Vivian Lee

Narrated by: Charles Constant

Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

In The Long Fix, physician and health-care CEO Vivian S. Lee, MD, cuts to the heart of the health-care crisis. The problem with the way medicine is practiced, she explains, is not so much who's paying, it's what we are paying for. Insurers, employers, the government, and individuals pay for every procedure, prescription, and lab test, whether or not it makes us better - and that is both backward and dangerous.  

Dr. Lee proposes turning the way we receive care completely inside out. When doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies are paid to keep people healthy, care improves and costs decrease. Lee shares inspiring examples of how this has been done, from physicians' practices that prioritize preventative care, to hospitals that adapt lessons from manufacturing plants to make them safer, to health-care organizations that share online how much care costs and how well each physician is caring for patients.  

Using clear and compelling language, Dr. Lee paints a picture that is both realistic and optimistic. It may not be a quick fix, but her concrete action plan for reform - for employers and other payers, patients, clinicians, and policy makers - can reinvent health care, and create a less costly, more efficient, and healthier system for all.

©2020 Vivian S. Lee (P)2020 Kalorama

Unsatisfactory narration

This could have been perfect material for an audio book. However, the narration is very unsatisfactory. Narrator reads in a constant, monotone voice (making me wonder is it a computer reading), with no intonation differences signaling beginning or end of a chapter. The voice does not even read out the chapter title. Very unfortunate. Regarding the content, some book chapters are more of an accounting laundry list than actionable takeaways. For time and money better spent, check out the author’s appearance in the Hidden Brain podcast.

Pay for Performance Healthcare

This is an in depth look at problems with the current healthcare system in the US. It’s well written and covers a lot of ongoing problems related to cost and outcomes. The author offers solutions that are business oriented, and talks about how many of them have already been implemented to a limited degree by specific organizations. I’d recommend this to anyone trying to get a grip on healthcare in the US, especially from the point of view of developing policy or trying to understand what your organization can do better.

Great content to understand health care reform

Dr. Lee provides important insights on the current state of health care, and its potential future if we are willing to chart a specified course.

Must read for all in healthcare!

Fantastic book that takes a deep dive into healthcare finance, IT, and more. It is a must read for anyone in healthcare.

succinct and realistic

Lee provides excellent real world examples and practical guidance to reinforce her proposed possibilities for a better health system for all.

Wide view and great knowledge

The number of important topics discussed in this book was vast and the recommended actions reasonable. I’m going to have to listen again with pen in hand, or break down and buy a printed copy to highlight and solidify my understanding of several topics.

Thank you for a great book on healthcare and the long view of the pitfalls and ways to potential fix it.