I think this hits the nail on the head. There is a huge information gradient between most patients and the doctor and perfectly bridging that gap takes more [time|money] than any system is willing to support.

I think about this when it comes to providing a patient with "informed consent" for a particular treatment/operation. What does "informed" really mean in this case? A brief overview of the main risks and a couple of statistics? Or a thorough understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease and the trial data supporting the therapy? How long is a piece of string?