Recent Blogs

The wildflowers this year have been the best in years; whole hillsides are purple with lupine, great swathes of orange poppies and golden mustard glow in every direction. Gorgeous!

About 2 years ago in the summer of 2006, there were perhaps 3-4 sites where one could rate and review physicians. As the summer of 2008 approaches, there are over 30 such sites. All of these sites are competing for the same eyeballs, hoping these eyeballs might also submit a review for a physician or three. Needless to say, there is no single dominant player -- not one has crossed over a million ratings. And given the current state of these web sites, no viable player from amongst these appears likely to emerge.

Physician ratings are here to stay, and trying to decipher them can be a bit overwhelming. Navigating through the aggregation of information can cause a bit of confusion and spinning for most folks.

My grandmother used to tell me I'd catch more flies with honey than I would with vinegar, that I'd have better success accomplishing my ends by being positive.

Several years ago I suffered from reflex sympathetic dystrophy, a painful and uncommon sympathetic nervous system disorder that can be disabling. It was still possible to find references to it on the net that called it a psychiatric disorder, although by that time it had been generally recognized as a physical disorder with an accepted course of treatment.

For over 10 years I have tried to help people find competent healthcare. Nothing is more frightening than facing a potential health crisis, and not knowing what to expect from your doctor. Is he/she competent? Kind and compassionate? Does he/she listen well and will he/she treat me with respect? Will I wait a long time in the office?

When I was growing up, doctors were god-like beings who were never questioned. Their word was law. When my father’s doctor told him he was dying in a very callous way and was impatient with Dad's questions, I finally burst out, “Have mercy, you’re telling him he’s dying!” The doctor bridled indignantly and suggested we find another oncologist. I was obliged to apologize to him to get him to agree to continue treating my father.

I've always paid extra for PPO insurance so I could choose my doctors, rather than being forced to go to someone who takes my insurance or running the gauntlet of authorizations that HMOs require. But even the most rigid of insurance plans allows for some choice of who you go to. Those market forces help keep providers on their toes. We require an exceptionally high standard of probity from our healthcare providers, because of how much depends on it.

After 9 years of attending the annual HIMSS event, I’m still amazed by the overwhelming number of Health IT solutions concentrated into a tradeshow floor. While the Orlando Convention Center offered plenty of space for the 900 exhibiting companies and over 28,000 attendees, there simply was not enough time to explore the inviting booths and thoughtfully displayed wares. Outside of the tradeshow floor, attendees were engrossed in carefully selected educational sessions and keynote presentations, in o