It is said that it is difficult and expensive to see a doctor. Why does this phenomenon exist? What can we do about it?

If you go to the hospital, you may have a clear feeling that there are more and more people in the hospital now, it is difficult to see a doctor, and the waiting time is long. No matter what level of hospital, it is always overcrowded. Why does this phenomenon occur? Let's discuss it together and what we can do about it.

1. Population growth, especially the growth of the elderly population

As people age, the likelihood of developing chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases will increase significantly. According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, by the end of November 2022, there will be 280.04 million people aged 60 and above in my country, accounting for 19.8% of the total population, and 209.78 million people aged 65 and above, accounting for 14.9% of the total population. The WHO definition of an aging society is that the proportion of the population aged 60 and above in the country exceeds 10% of the total population, and the proportion of the population aged 65 and above exceeds 7% of the total population. my country has entered a state of moderate aging. The peak of my country's population birth was in 1963 and 1964, with an average of 29 million births per year. In 2023 and 2024, this part of the people will enter old age. It can be expected that the burden on hospitals will be heavier in the future and the number of patients will increase.

2. Although medical science has made great progress, the number of diseases that can be cured is very limited.

Many people may think that medicine is very advanced nowadays and can cure any disease. It is true that medicine has made great progress nowadays, with various new treatment methods and new therapeutic drugs available, and many diseases can be cured. However, it is a pity that many diseases cannot be completely cured and need long-term medication to be controlled, such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, etc.

The latest research progress on diabetes shows that as of the end of October 2022, my country has 140 million people with diabetes, ranking first in the world. However, the disease control rate of diabetes is only 36.7%. The situation is severe, which has greatly increased the number of people seeking medical treatment due to diabetes.

By the end of 2022, the number of people with hypertension in China will be about 340 million. Hypertension can cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and the number of people seeking medical treatment will also increase significantly. In addition to diabetes and hypertension, there are many other diseases that will increase the number of people seeking medical treatment, such as some viral diseases.

What may be inconsistent with most people's ideas is that there is no particularly effective treatment for colds in current medicine, and you can only rely on your body's immunity to achieve self-healing. Because antiviral drugs are very limited, and they cannot directly kill viruses, they can only inhibit the proliferation of viruses, such as AIDS and hepatitis B. It's like a reservoir, making the water in the pool more and more.

3. People’s knowledge level has improved, their understanding of health has become deeper, and their behavior of seeking medical treatment has increased.

In the past, there was a widespread phenomenon of "delaying treatment for minor illnesses, bearing major illnesses, and burying the dead in the ground". This was the way many people dealt with illnesses, especially in remote areas such as rural areas. With the improvement of living standards and the improvement of people's education, including the improvement of transportation in rural areas, various factors have combined to make people seek medical treatment in a timely manner when they have health problems.

In addition, with the development of self-media, people can receive a lot of health knowledge from the Internet. People's attention to health has increased unprecedentedly than before, so when some abnormal symptoms appear in the body, they will seek medical treatment in time.

Physical examinations have improved greatly now compared to the past. Many people attach importance to physical examinations and have annual examinations. Generally speaking, physical examinations can detect some hidden diseases and intervene in treatment early.

4. Medical insurance covers a large area, and people can afford to see a doctor

The Statistical Bulletin on the Development of National Medical Security in 2021 shows that by the end of 2021, the number of people covered by basic medical insurance in my country exceeded 1.36 billion. Most of the hospitalizations can be reimbursed, which greatly reduces the medical burden on families. When faced with illness, the public will actively seek treatment instead of procrastinating. Coupled with the supplement of commercial health insurance, the medical burden is no longer a problem. In the past, it was a common phenomenon that people had no money to treat their illnesses. Now that medical insurance is fully covered, the phenomenon of having no money to treat their illnesses has been greatly improved. Communicating with some patients, they believe that medical insurance has solved their problem of expensive medical treatment.

Fifth, pathogenic factors are widespread

Economic development and improved living standards have a positive effect on health on the one hand, but also have an adverse effect on health on the other. For example, the increase in the number of cars has greatly facilitated people's travel, but car exhaust emissions have led to air pollution and poor air quality, and many people have lung diseases to varying degrees. During physical examinations, many people have lung nodules, and one of the causes of lung nodules is long-term exposure to air pollution. Pollutants in the air are inhaled into the lungs to produce an immune response, and the inflammatory response wraps the tissue or forms granulomas, eventually forming lung nodules.

Nowadays, people are under great pressure in life, and psychological or mental problems are becoming increasingly serious. On the "World Mental Health Day" in 2022, Professor Lu Lin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the dean of Peking University Sixth Hospital, said: The current incidence of mental and psychological diseases in my country has reached 17%. It can be seen how serious mental problems are. From the perspective of psychosomatic medicine, mental illness can lead to physical illness, forming a vicious circle.

In addition, the pace of life is fast, with many social engagements, excessive consumption of meat and fish, and little exercise. The obesity rate is also high, and the proportion of people suffering from chronic diseases or in sub-health conditions has also increased significantly.

Of course, in addition to the above-mentioned pathogenic factors, there are many pathogenic factors in both the natural environment and the social environment.

So what can we do in the face of increasingly serious health problems and increasingly severe medical situations?

What I often communicate with everyone is that good health is king. Although Steve Jobs was so rich and influential, his life was short and he still couldn't escape the erosion of life by disease.

First of all, we should exercise more. Exercise can enhance immunity and improve a person's mental state. Many people may say that they are busy with work and have no time to exercise. If you want to exercise, any reason is not a reason. If you don't want to exercise, any reason can become a reason. Climbing stairs and walking more are exercises. Doing yoga at home is also exercise. Running is also exercise. There are many forms of exercise. As long as you want, you can exercise at any time.

Second, pay attention to diet. Although eating is no longer a problem, how to eat healthily and how to balance the intake of various nutrients are still a big problem. According to relevant surveys, the proportion of nutrient intake of Chinese people is very unreasonable. For example, some people like meat but not vegetables, resulting in insufficient intake of vitamins and trace elements; some people like vegetarian food but not meat, resulting in insufficient intake of protein and fat. It is recommended to combine meat and vegetables and balance the intake of various nutrients.

Third, pay attention to physical examinations. It is recommended to have a physical examination once a year. Many diseases can be cured or at least controlled from developing into a malignant direction if they are discovered early, which can reduce the number of hospital visits or hospital stays.

Fourth, with the popularization of smart devices and the development of media, it is recommended to learn more about health-related knowledge so that you can better identify some health risk factors and take actions that are more beneficial to your health.

The problem of difficulty and high cost of seeing a doctor cannot be solved in the short term and may become more serious in the future. Therefore, when you seek medical treatment, you must be calm and not impatient. You are the first person responsible for your own health. Get sick less and go to the hospital less often!

(Author: Cao Maoqiu, head nurse of Sichuan Cancer Hospital)