Exposing the 20 Medical Myths:
Why Everything You Know About Health Care is Wrong
and How to Make It Right
and How to Make It Right
By: Arthur Garson Jr., MD and Ryan Holeywell
(Rowman & Littlefield)
This is a
concise, up-to-date, rigorously referenced analysis of twenty of the most
troublesome “myths” that continue to misguide the American public’s views about
health care. Most of the myths discussed are well-known by scholars, and have
been “busted” by other previous works. Like other works within this “myth-busting”
genre, this book often relies on a rigorous comparison between the health care
systems in the US, Canada, and Europe. Of those 20 myths, the first and last are
highly representative: Chapter 1. “US
Health Care is the Best in the World.” And, Chapter
20. “There is No Health-Care System That Will Work for the United States.” Other
US issues include: preventative care, doctor shortage, malpractice, and
emergency room treatment. The authors argue that public acknowledgement these twenty
myths is necessary for sustained long-term planning and reform. Critics might observe
that the book omits many other important myths, especially a variety of “myths”
related to the education of US health care professionals. Nevertheless, this is
a highly recommended textbook for undergraduate and graduate students, health
care policy scholars, the general public, and anyone who still believes that health
care in the US is the best in the world.
Reviewed for Choice Magazine by:
Ronald F. White, PhD
Mount St. Joseph University
