November 21st, 2011 by John Mandrola, M.D. in Opinion, Research
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I learned a lot from putting together an abstract for a national heart meeting.
- More than just learning how to e-submit, e-upload and e-print a large poster;
- More than what t-tests and chi-squares measure;
- More than learning that females respond differently to AF ablation;
- And surely more than which coffee shop offers the best work place.
Putting this thing together showed me stuff: the process of discovery, it’s role in helping us be better doctors and the difficulties inherent in doing this kind of valuable research in our current system.
So of course…bloggers blog.
First: Many have asked why we bothered doing research? What’s the motivation? Money? Fame? A greater purpose?
It was none of these. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr John M*
October 5th, 2009 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
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When you build a house, you begin with the foundation. The same holds true for the U.S. health care system. The President and Congress are scrambling to put up a reform structure that would have a better chance to succeed if the cinderblocks and joists were in place. No health care system in our country can develop adequately unless supported by validated information, policies and procedures based upon accurate data related to its most important features, and updated continuously. While there are agencies and institutions that can answer some of our questions, a comprehensive assessment is lacking. We should learn much more – the sooner, the better. Conflicted entities cannot be relied upon for objectivity, so if the government would like to increase its role in health care, creating a method for objectifying the rationale for change is the correct place to start. Read more »
