Opinion
When considering reform, find out what doctors think about it
LETTER — Posted Nov. 23, 2009
Confused by the current debate, some have posed the question: What do doctors think? Physicians reason in a manner missing from the ongoing discussion. We are aware of the Cheshire Cat's admonition to Alice: "If you don't care where you are going, it doesn't matter which direction you take."
Physicians know where they are going. They serve to maintain or improve the health status of each unique patient and community as effectively and efficiently as possible. But doctors have little idea whether this is the goal of health reform.
Before we rush forward to reform health care, we should ask doctors what they think. But first we must define the overriding goal, i.e., improved health status, and more clearly articulate the major provisions of reform (and locus of implementation responsibility for each). Then solicit and aggregate opinions of each physician regarding the impact such changes would have collectively upon the health status of his or her patient and community populations.
James David Felsen, MD, MPH, Charleston, W.Va.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/11/23/edlt1123.htm.
