Healthcare Failure

In Episode 5, Dianne and Dr. Crossnoe discuss the phenomenon of healthcare failure, when the healthcare system doesn't work as well as it should.  Dr. Crossnoe discusses the analogy of organ failure as a way to understand problems with the delivery of healthcare.
In order to illustrate some of these problems, they use the case of Pauline, an elderly woman who is having some negative symptoms but has difficulty getting answers.  They discuss how things might go wrong in many locations of care, including ERs, walk-in clinics, and doctor's offices.  They consider how poor communication can be a major problem in healthcare. 
Among other things, Dr. Crossnoe emphasizes the importance of bringing medications or a list to every office visit.  They also discuss trying to improve communication through patient portals.