Evening star., 1927-05-22
PLAN SWEEPING SURVEY
INTO MEDICAL PRACTICE
Group of Physicians to Consider High
Cost of Health i'm United States in
Wide Study of Conditions.

| w. Weich, State health commissioner
OF Alabama: James A. Tobey. Borden
| Milk Co.: DR.. Leo Wolman OF the Ma
tionai Bureau of Economic Research
| New York: Edward A. Woods of the
| Equitable Life Assurance Society; DR.
1 ~ G.. Pierce director Of Western divi.
sion, United States Public Health
Service. and Dr.. Waller S. Lcathers
professor of preventive medicine
Vanderbilt University.
Big Field of Inquiry.
Proceedings at the preliminary con
ferences in Washington dealt broadly
with the question as to what effects
the practice of medicine, as now con-
Quoted in the United States, is having,
Naturally. such a question opens up
an almost interminable field of inquiry.
1t leads directly into the important do
main of disqualification, whether, for
instance, hospitals should come TO be
more and more State-maintained. as
was concretely advocated in his in.
augural address by DR.. Jabez North
Jackson of Kansas City, the new pres
ident of the American Medical Asso-
citation. DR. Jackson urges the estab-
lishment of hospitals available to the
great middle class of men and women
with only moderate means. The pro.
jected survey is TO embrace the vital
issue of the nursing system as now
regulated, with a view to desirable
changes in existing facilities.
The roles which are played in the
realm of public health by colleges and
universities, private medical schools,
dispensaries, clinics, and industrial or
ganizations which employ doctors and
nurses for the care of their own
staffs-a growing development in the
United States-are all to be X-rayed
thoroughly. One great industrial con-
Germ represented at the Washington
meeting is caring for II 900 employees
medical needs free of cost to them Tin
cluding maternity casesl at an average
individual expense to the firm of $50
a year. The position of individual
surgeons and medical spe-
cialists of all kinds will. as q matter
OF course. come i'll 70 penetrating in
vestigation.
1t was the consensus Of opinion at
the Washington conferences that the
facts in hand are inadequate to supply
the comprehensive picture desired
namely, to discover exactly how, cost
the American community
is being served medically. 1t was ac-
cordingly decided to appoint com.
mittee of IS, which is to consist Of
representatives of colleges. universe
ties and various foundations from
which necessary financial sinews can
be expected.
Leading Economists Included.
Leading economists are to be in
vited to cooperate with medical au-
thorities in this notable attempt to
elucidate the best methods of prevent.
ing and curing disease. A committee
of five was named and clothed with
authority to select Is additional men,
bers. These five are DIR. Barker of
Johns Hopkins. Prof. Winslow of Yale.
DR.. Smith of Johns Hopkins Hospital,
DIR. Moore of the United States Public
Health Service and Michael Davis.
leader in medical foundation activities,
of New York. The committee Of 18
expects to be subsidized to the extent
of 100000 for the first year and to
considerably more munit1cent degree
later on. A survey to last altogether
five years is contemplated.
Representative spokesmen of the
$50, 900 physicians and surgeons Of the
United States discussed the medical
survey scheme with the liveliest inter-
est during their recent conclave in
All seemed conscious
that it can eventually lead to things
that might mean an economic up
heaval in the medical profession.
Doctors therefore eagerly hope for the
of taking part in the sur
vey. Many feel it's effects may be so
profound that some plan of "State
e., State.employed physi.
clans to render medical service to the
community--or State health insurance
may result from an inquiry OF wholly
character.
fCopyright. 1927