How Medical Culture Sinks Outcomes

How does the "hero" culture in medicine contribute to rising health care costs and decaying standards? What systemic changes should we make to improve these issues? 

In this opinion piece in the Minneapolis StarTribune, Dr. Robert Pearl argues that we need to address a medical culture focused on "fixing" patients rather than helping them live healthier lives.

Dr. Pearl is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and former chief executive of the Permanente Medical Group (Kaiser Permanente). He teaches at Stanford, and his latest book is "Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors and Patients."