I OPINION Page 6 C, he Michigan D attl Vol. XCIV, No. 13-S 94 Years of Editorial Freedom Managed and Edited by Students at The University of Michigan Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily Editorial Board Doctor, doctor THE DEPARTMENT of Health and Human Services has come up with an idea which could make major, desperately needed changes in the health care industry. The proposal, strongly backed by a number of health care consumer groups, would release an unprecedented amount of non-confidential statistical information about health care costs and mortality rates at hospitals across the nation. If it receives final approval, the HHS proposal could be a godsend for the nation's health-care consumers. For the first time, the public would have access to information which would allow some level of price and quality competition among hospitals and physicians. The change would start to give health care providers a real, market-based in- centive to cut costs and improve quality. Predictably, the American Medical Association and other organizations with similar interests have denounced the proposal. They argue that releasing the in- formation would mislead, rather than inform, the public, and that the proposal would destroy the medical profession's system of self-discipline. In essence, they claim that the medical profession is in a much better position to make judgments on hospitals, costs, and health care quality than patients. The AMA argument ignores a number of important points. Precisely because the medical profession deals with people's lives, the consuming public must have the greatest possible amount of information before making decisions. Restricting information by placing it exclusively in the hands of a self-interested cartel is more an argument for enriching physicians than for controlling health care costs. As the AMA points out, the risk of the HHS data being misinterpreted is real. Different hospitals and physicians, for example, naturally have different mortality rates because of differences in clientele and specialization, rather than differences in competency. But in such cases where the raw statistics might be misleading, hospitals, in- dividuals, doctors, and the AMA itself would be perfectly free to make their interpretation of the data available. Given the importance and cost of health care, the public must be able to make in- telligent and informed decisions. The final ap- proval of the HHS proposal will be a significant step in that direction. Tuesday, June 5, 1984 The Michigan Daily Dy 'ever notice hospitals? I have ... By Eric Mattson (To be read with the tone and cadence of Andy Rooney.) I've always been bothered by people who have been hospitalized with a "cool" injury. A "cool" injury includes any type of glamourous or semi- glamourous accident, like breaking a leg while skiing or stubbing a toe rescuing a child from a burning building. My experiences with the medical community have been far less spectacular. THE FIRST time I was in a hospital was naturally at birth, which, although it is a truly spec- tacular phenonemon, did not con- stitute a great effort on my part. Most of the difficult work was ac- complished by my mother, I'm afraid. The next time I encountered a hospital stay was when I was about five. I had developed (horrors!) a urine infection. To make matters worse, I misun- derstood what the doctors and my parents told me-I thought I had an ear infection. Imagine my chagrin when nur- ses began putting tubes in odd places and taking urine samples all the time. I quickly informed them that I had an ear infection and couldn't understand what the hell they were doing, but to no avail. What a nightmare. THE ONLY time I ever had stitches was when I was in seven- th grade, but it didn't occur as I was playing football or doing, something similarly macho: It happened when I ran into a lad- der which was hidden in the snow. All right, maybe it wasn't very hidden. At least this time I knew where the injury was-my left knee still bears a three-stitch- long scar. The last time I took a trip to the hospital was during my freshman year in high school. This, I'm afraid, was the least cool of my non-cool injuries. SOME NEIGHBORHOOD kids and I were playing some sort of game in my backyard, frollicking freely through the grass. And then it happened. I swear I didn't see our dog un- til it was too late. By that time, I had accidently kicked or tripped over the bitch, depending on whose version you listen to. My toe has never been the same. Since I didn't realize I had broken my toe-the dog was fine, of course-I didn't go to the hospital until about 24 hours later. A bit of advice: Don't go to the hospital with a broken toe. My parents wasted hard-earned money to have two of my toes taped together and be advised that I should wear hard-soled shoes. EVEN THE shoes were a pain, since I had to wear dress shoes to a Chicago Cubs game. And we were sitting in the bleachers. It's embarrassing enough to be seen at a Cubs' game, but it's even worse to be seen there wearing dress shoes. So that's it. No casts to sign, no heroic tales to tell, just a few in- conveniences and another check for my parents to sign. Maybe I should go skiing more often. Mattson is a Daily staff writer who actually thinks Andy Rooney isfunny. a I a Reason for hope in the Gulf War By Franz Schurrmann FOR THE first time since the from his total loathing of Saddam Cold War began, the United Hussein. Yet if this newest Al- The scenario that seems to be States and the Soviet Union find Fajr fails like the earlier ones, unfolding in the Persian Gulf War themselves on the same side of a Iran faces the certainty of an in- is of Iran threatening another of- major conflict. The United States creasingly internationalized con- fensive and Iraq countering with currently is "tilting" towards flict that will wreck its lucrative moves to internationalize the Iraq. The Soviets have been pro- foreign trade. w ar. Iraq since Iraq lurched to the left To many observers that could in 1956. In addition, Iraq benefit- The Teheran rulers must see signal an ominous turn. It could s from significant arms shipmen- that internationalization is a bring Iranian attacks elsewhere ts from France which is the strategem all their "satanic" in the Arab world. It could lead to world's third biggest arms sup- enemies are concocting to put Soviet countermoves to balance plier. pressure on them to end the war. the growth of an American Iran has virtually no outside Yet Iran, despite its military presence in the Gulf. support to match those powerful revolutionary fanaticism, is a And-even though world con- friends of Iraq. Its chief arms nation caught up in the pace of sumers are far less dependent on supplier is remote and self- modernization. Economic Middle East oil than they were a isolating North Korea. Syria is isolation will put even severer decade ago-it could mean hardly a trustworthy supporter. burdens on country and people. heightened world inflation. And Libya's Muammar Khadafy And if victory is not forthcoming, EXCEPT FOR Iran, everyone has his hands full at home. what are they going to do? wants the war to end. The Iraqis Does Iran have popular support ' may be the prime culprits inter- in the overall Islamic world to Internationalism of the war nationalizing the war, but they balance off its lack of gayer- means, in effect, the complete are desperate to end it along the nmental friends and allies? The political and economic isolation stalemate lines that now prevail. evidence is ambigious. For years of Iran. This has never before All the Gulf states as well as Jor- there were rumors that the happened to any revolutionary dan have been anxious for the Muslim Brotherhood had secret power in recent history, since war to end since it began in Sep- links to the Islamic revolution in there always was the option of tember 1980. Iran. Yet reports from Egypt in- turning to the Soviets, to China, There is no evidence that Syria dicate the brotherhood is busying or, on occasion, to the United preoccupied in Lebanon, wants itself with internal Egyptian States. the war to go on. Certainly politics. Iran would never capitulate to Ronald Reagan hardly wants KHOMEINI'S picture hangs all the demands of Saddam Hussein another war on his hands when he over West Beirut, but there is no to end the war. But faced with is trying to look peace-minded till indication that Lebanese Shi'ites such isolation and international next November. And even the are about to risk their lives for pressure, the men of Teheran just Russians, still fighting in some revolution that is to reform possible could decide to find a Afghanistan, have privately told all of Islam. Iraq's majority face-saving way out of the war the Americans they would not ob- Shi'ite population so far has rather than plod on with one of- ject if the U.S. tried to keep the remained loyal to the Saddam fensive after another. Gulf sea lanes open. Hussein regime. Iran might indeed launch Iraq's Saddam Hussein sud- Schurrmann teaches history another of its Al-Fajr, or "Dawn denly has become puffed up with at the Universit Calrnia of a New Era, offenses. Yet the his new strength and talks of ty lifo shrewd leaders in Teheran know bringing Iran down to its knees. at Berkeley. He wrote this ar- full well that this time they will And it is inconceivable that the tic/e for the Pacific News Ser- face more than just Iraq. Ayatollah would ever back down vice. a 0 0 0