Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
MPR News Staff

Hallberg's Picture of Health: What's our goal for care?

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

What should be the goal of health care? Sounds like a simple question, but it's not.

A recent editorial by Dr. Thomas H. Lee in the Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA, argues "Zero Pain Is Not The Goal."

"Quality does not mean the elimination of death or perfect compliance with guidelines," Lee writes. "And compassion for patients does not mean the elimination of all pain."

MPR News' regular medical analyst Dr. Jon Hallberg took on this same question and gave his thoughts on Lee's piece, including how its ideas play out in practice.

To hear the full conversation between Hallberg and All Things Considered host Tom Crann, use the audio player above.