Poll: Is outsourcing jobs a problem.

[PrincessFiona]

This has been getting a lot of media attention lately and I wondered where everyone stands on this issue.

[PrincessFiona]

I think it's fairly obvious where I stand on this...I dont' agree with the idea of outsourcing the jobs anymore than I agree with bringing in more immigrant workers to fill lower-wage jobs. My concern is that we are slowly losing our middle class of workers. I was watching a report about the computer industry last night and they were talking about the facts that the jobs that are still here are now much lower paid....and there was even talk about the fact that now radiologists will begin to see a salary decline because of the ability to read reports from anywhere....There are whole businesses set up abroad now that are much cheaper for US hospitals....

At what point do we say that we are willing to pay more for US quality than to pay less for cheap chinese quality....on products likely made by children or workers paid next-to-nothing for working a 14 hour shift?

Do we want our x-rays read by a company in China?

kris

[SueC]

I haven't answered yet--are you referring to specifically out-sourcing overseas? I think out-sourcing in general is a good thing because it offers flexibility. Of course, the only reason I feel this way is because my business depends on a practice out-sourcing their billing as opposed to paying somebody to do it in-house. They save money training new employees, on health insurance, vacation/sick time, etc., and I get the flexibility of owning my own business and working from home. I hear about overseas billing companies springing up, however, and I don't agree with that practice. I think with the way our economy is right now, and with unemployment being a huge issue right now, US companies should keep their jobs at home if at all possible.

[Rapunzel]

With regard to the radiologists - There is an Australian company called "Night Hawk" that hires American radiologists (already board certified) to cover hospitals at night via teleradiology and these American radiologists then move to Australia for the duration of their employment. Brigham and Women's emergency radiology fellowship actually works in cooperation with this company (ie fellows actually spend several months in Australia)! MGH has some kind of thing set up with Indian radiologists doing preliminary reads from India. The problem is that an American-board certified radiologist then has to do a definitive 'final' read for the insurance companies to pay (and for the hospital to avoid lawsuits). I don't think American radiologists are going to be suffering due to either of these scenarios. Rather, what will hit radiologists hard in the pocketbook is if Medicaid starts lowering reimbursements for MRI....

Jennifer

[PrincessFiona]

I hope that it doesn't Jennifer...I think there are some overall risks then that could affect the delivery of medical care in its entirity...ie the beginning of sliding down a long slippery slope!

I saw a news clip about the rads thing this weekend and they were saying that they expected to see more of these companies opening up and eventually a decline in the need for us trained radiologists....I can't imagine that it could happen...

kris