Welcome, from Dr. Brian Hill

I have to admit, and it will likely be quite evident as this moves along, but I am not much of a blogger. Actually, I’ve never blogged before. I have also never been very involved in politics, although this blog really has nothing to do with politics.

Because this is a blog about healthcare, and in my view, healthcare does not belong in the realm of political ideology. I do believe that most people will uniformly agree that politics, at least at this juncture in our society, has become more about following political ideology and maintaining power rather than perhaps finding true means to positively impact every American. That is not party specific. People fall on both sides of the political spectrum, and that ideology unfortunately can blind us or prejudice us to the point where we cannot approach problem-solving in a process driven by critical thought. We need to make decisions based on outcome data, not wishes and desires, no matter how wonderful and flowery those wishes are.

And I do want to make this clear. This is a blog about healthcare reform, maybe even more about the transformation of our healthcare system. This is a time where the debate about fixing the ills in our healthcare system has been raised to a crescendo. I am truly excited about the idea of making this system stronger, more efficient and more accessible, with higher quality, increased patient satisfaction and rising cure rates, hopefully with less rates of preventable illnesses. But this is also a time for reflection and certainty. We cannot choose change for change’s sake. We cannot pick the wrong type of reform, or we will all suffer, and future generations will suffer. So now is a time to judiciously examine different approaches and make decisions based once again on evidence derived from outcome data.

And this is the real driving force behind this blog. In medicine, we practice what is called “evidence-based medicine.” This means that we look at trials and research to determine the best approach to treating medical conditions. We don’t just hope that a treatment works. We don’t cross our fingers and hope with all our heart that we are choosing the right treatment path. We look at the evidence and follow that evidence to direct us toward the proper pathway. And if we practice medicine in this manner, and we do because we see that our cure rates are best when we follow this model, then does it not make sense to correct the ills within the healthcare system in the same manner.

So this blog will hopefully provide data and information along these lines. It’s what I do for my life. And I love what I do. And I worry that if we don’t heed the data but instead follow some politically driven ideology, we are going to irreparably harm the best healthcare the world has to offer. But if we find the right way to transform our healthcare delivery system, then we just might make not only an impact of tremendous proportion in the US, but around the world. And that would truly be amazing. For other struggling systems are watching. And that is why I am excited. And that is why I now blog.