The American health care system is more expensive than any other, without providing better results. The cure, says Brent James, is measurement. Full Story »
Posted by Kaizar Campwala - via Nicholas Kristof, Tim O'Reilly, Publish2 (U.S.), New York Times (Most Emailed)
This article is simply the best piece I have ever read on healthcare reform. The author points up clear opportunities for improvement, and he highlights the balance that must be struck between reliance on the intuitive skills of individual physicians and treatment protocols based on empirical evidence. This article avoids partisan bias, instead discussing the facts with impartial precision.
I was particularly impressed by the universality of the approach suggested in this article. As human beings we each must strike a balance between intuition (based on experience) and continuous revision of our most cherished opinions based on exposure to new empirical evidence. This process requires a rare level of self-awareness, and weeding out our own biases involves painful self-reflection. The slow evolution of human culture provides us with numerous examples of how difficult change can be, and progress in the medical field is no exception. An exciting time in medicine that makes me somewhat envious of physicians who are just beginning their careers--including my daughter and son-in-law.