Twelve Recommended Blogs for Health Reform Information

Knowledge is of two kinds.  We know the subject ourselves, and we know where we can find information upon it.

Samuel Johnson (1708-1784), Boswell, Life of Johnson

September 14, 2012 – Readers ask me: where do you get your information? From other doctors, from my experience of observing what works and doesn’t work,  and from these 12 blogs, which I scan each day.

1.        Kaiserhealthnews.com -  By Kaiser Foundation: Independent, balanced, covers the health care landscape.

2.       KevinMD.com – By Kevin Pho, MD, primary care physician in New Hampshire.  Widely read, firmly established as must read from physicians point of view.

3.       Buzcooper.com – by Buz Cooper, MD.  Professor of medicine at Penn and member of economics institutute there.  Refreshing. Challenges the notion that doctors are responsible for variation of health costs.    Says main cause is poverty with delayed diagnosis and treatment.

4.       Healthleadersmedia.com -  Authoritative with distinguished editorial staff.  Addressed to hospital and physician leadership audience.

5.       Wsjhealthblog.com – About the business of health care.

6.       Physiciansfoundation.com -  website representing views of state medical societies. Notable for physician surveys and white papers on physician issues. Heavily recommended.

7.       Nejm.org – The world as seen by New England Journal of Medicine.  Tends to be “progressive” and supportive of Obamacare.   Read “perspective” section.

8.       Doctorsandpatients.org.   Website of Doctors and Patients Medical Association. Started this year.  Represents independent physicians.  Conservative.  Big on doctor freedom and concierge medicine and cash-only practice options.

9.       Thehealthcareblog.com.  A favorite among policy wonks.  Widely read and authoritative.  An outlet for reformers with a cause.  Big on electronic health records as Holy Grail.

10.   DrwesBlogspot.com -  by Chicago surgeon.  Oprah’s favorite doctor.  Traces latest surgical adviances.

11.   Politico.com -  Tends of be liberal but not always slant of politics of day.

12.   Realclearpolitics.com – My personal favorite.  Balanced. Publishes pundits from left and right. Particularly valuable because it contains daily averages of national polls on presidential race, both as whole and in battleground states.

PS – I also read the New York Times,  Wall Street Journal, USAToday, and Investors Business Daily to see what left, right, middle America,  and job creators are thinking.  If any of you readers of this post have links you would like to add, please let me know.