Top Doctors, Dead or Alive

Recently the New York Times http://well.blogs.nytimes.com * noted: “The official letter is sitting on my desk, announcing that a relative of mine has just been named one of the world’s top physicians in his area of expertise. Once he confirms his biographical details, he is guaranteed inclusion in online and print directories of similarly honored peers (“not only a tribute to your success, but also a valuable resource for potential patients”).
“I can clearly imagine his reaction had he opened the letter himself: a combination of amusement, dismay and just a small hint of pleasure. However, since he has been dead for 16 years, his widow passed the envelope over to me, and I got to experience all those emotions myself.
The amusement and dismay speak for themselves. The pleasure lay in this really superb demonstration that skepticism should attend all interactions with services promising to lead you through the thickets of subpar and merely average doctors directly to best of breed.
The methodology of these enterprises varies. Some, evidently, cull names and addresses from obsolete phone directories. Some poll doctors themselves for the biggest luminaries of their acquaintance. Some rely on patients’ reviews, operating under the premise that a doctor who delivers a five-star health experience for one will do so for all.”
* to read the full NYTs article “Top Doctors, Dead or Alive” by Abigail Zuger, highlight and click on open hyperlink http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/11/top-doctors-dead-or-alive/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands? ™ provides information to consumers on understanding, managing and navigating health care options.
Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H., is Clinical Professor, Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; and Adjunct Professor, Baruch College ( C.U.N.Y.), Rutgers School of Public Health, and Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration
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