1) The AMA says that the financial benefits of office-based electronic medical records systems are not worth the cost to doctors.

My take: The primary reason why adoption of electric records is so low. The physician takes a tremendous financial risk for little, if any, return on investment. A poor business investment if there ever was one.

Taking the financial hit for the sake of future macro-benefits isn’t a convincing argument to the average, small-practice physician.

2) NYT: “The only real way to tame health care costs is by limiting access to expensive treatments or by requiring affluent Americans to pay for more of their health care.”

My take: I’d also add judicious use of futile care to the list. Unfortunately, anyone proposing these real solutions would never get elected.

So, we’re stuck with non-solutions like covering the uninsured while costs continue to spiral out of control.

3) Robert Jarvik gets canned as the Lipitor spokesperson.

My take: Poor guy. His reputation takes a hit, and his name forever sullied on the web. I wonder if it was worth $1.35 million.

Yes, patients may like doctors to share personal stories. Although Jarvik technically was an M.D., he never practiced medicine and couldn’t write prescriptions.

He was portrayed as an authority when he clearly wasn’t, and people found that objectionable.

4) The government is considering forgiving up to $10,000 in student loans for doctors who practice in areas of need.

My take: A laughably small carrot that won’t change a thing. The average medical school debt is $140,000, and there is significant pressure to repay that expediently. This means practicing in non-rural areas.

Complete loan forgiveness is the only language that will speak to newly graduated doctors.