Section B Reading in Depth Directions: There are 2...

Section B Reading in Depth Directions: There are 2 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and write the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet. Passage One Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage. Most aspects of health care have been designed with a focus on the needs of the doctor or other health care provider, rather than the consumer who uses the health services. But health care is ripe for change. This culture has not been deliberately created, and often frustrates doctors and other health providers as much as patients. But it is ingrained in our health care system. The internet and technology have revolutionized the way banks and most other businesses serve their customers. That began two decades ago. Yet we are still waiting for this revolution to reach health care. For many of the most vulnerable (and chronically sick) people, it is very difficult to get the co-ordinated care they need. There are patients who are having to travel long distances to multiple doctors and specialists, to undergo an array of tests that are not co-ordinated or shared and are not flexible to fit around their schedule, because that's what suits the timetable of the hospital, service or specialist. Specialists are often selected by GPs based on familiarity, rather than expertise or the most suitable fee structure. There are still too many people finding out the cost of their treatment after it has occurred, which is totally unacceptable in other services, never mind when we're vulnerable as patients. This system has changed little in decades. But now the public now has more access to medical information than ever. Technology empowers consumers to have more say in their health care, so that they are at the center of health services, rather than clinicians. The rapid development of telemedicine, electronic health monitors, consumer portals and smartphone apps is delivering greater decision-making powers to the consumer. We need to ensure government and community support consumer-led initiatives in the design, delivery and self-management of health. That will mean many vulnerable people receiving support to navigate the system. The era of telemedicine needs to be embraced rather than viewed with distrust. We are increasingly living in a paperless society, but we still see patients having to lug around their test results from specialist to specialist because their health history is not available online. The government has committed funds to fix this but only a tiny proportion of doctors have signed up, and even a smaller number of patients have a comprehensive record of their treatment and tests. Fees for operations and treatments should be spelt out in advance, and ideally publicly available. Patients should be able to look up the performance of public and private hospitals and individual doctors and services. We don't have a health system in Australia: we have a sickness system that needs to be fundamentally reconfigured. We need to increase support for elements of the system that make people better and stop them from getting sick in the first place. This could include extra payments for GPs and companies who help people successfully achieve a healthy diet or more exercise. The results could be measured through the reduction of rates of diabetes, depression, obesity, stroke or cardiovascular disease in the community. Incentives could be given to people with chronic illness who manage their conditions so successfully they reduce their number of hospital stays or appointments. This is a very different world to the system that exists now, and the medical profession will need new skills to deal with patients who view themselves as equal partners in their health care. It’s not farfetched to imagine trainee doctors learning expanded and advanced skills in communication and partnerships alongside anatomy and biochemistry. 11. What does the author complain about the existing health care system？

A、It has been intentionally designed for health care providers.

B、It has been designed for service consumers.

C、It frustrates doctors and patients as well.

D、Technology serves customers in other businesses.