The Problem

“There is a crisis in medicine today,” notes the New York Times, “a diminishing supply of primary care physicians . . . who practice the art and the science of medicine and who seek to put patients at least on a par with their pocketbooks.”  Coupled with this shift, there is a new language of medicine, where patients are called “customers” or “consumers,” and doctors, nurses, social workers, and others are “providers.”  These reductionist terms ignore the psychological, spiritual, and humanistic dimensions of the relationship and the differing professional roles offered by health care practitioners.

In addition, we see spiraling patient care costs, expanding pharmaceutical demands and costs, an aging population beset with chronic illnesses (many with unmet clinical needs), and diminished care.  It’s no overstatement to say that the health care economy is failing, and that many patients are rightfully unsatisfied.  With each passing year, it becomes apparent that the current health care system is a “house of cards” that may soon collapse, with grave consequences for us all.

A Solution

The Drossman Center for the Education and Practice of Biopsychosocial Care, LLC (or, simply, “the Drossman Center”), aims to spur a shift in the way that health care is practiced and delivered.

Based in Durham, North Carolina, the Center’s goal is to improve doctor-patient communication and quality of care by establishing a patient-centered gastrointestinal practice, a practitioner education program with hierarchical guided training, and online educational programs.  A panel of trained clinicians will carry the training to a larger number of clinicians, and the Drossman Center will leverage social media to reach a larger audience of physicians and patients.  The Center’s founders will also establish a consultation practice, Drossman Gastroenterology, PLLC, and a personal consultation business, Drossman Consulting, LLC.