Clear thinking critical to solving Medicare pay problem

AMA Leader Commentary. By Cecil B. Wilson, MD, Nov. 6, 2006.

AMA LEADER COMMENTARY

A few words about current events in medical practice

SEE ARCHIVES

A message to all AMA members from the chair of the AMA Board of Trustees, Cecil B. Wilson, MD.

For the last several months, I have been sharing thoughts on various principles that guide us in our profession and in the American Medical Association. This has included the principles of unity, integrity, partnership and values.

It occurs to me that a common thread tying these principles together and important to guiding our actions is the principle of clear thinking.

Ours is a profession demanding the highest level of clarity of thought. From premed through residency and beyond, we are taught to think straight, think from an evidence base, think about our ethics and think of the importance of our patients' needs. We understand the importance of facing unpleasant truths, dispassionately analyzing data into information, information into knowledge, and ultimately, knowledge into wisdom.

Being wedded to the belief in the importance of clear thinking leads to some frustration and confusion when we face a culture that increasingly prizes emotion over thoughtfulness, irrationality over reason and shallowness over depth of consideration.

The evidence is everywhere, but especially in our nation's capitol.

In recent weeks, I have had the privilege of testifying before Congress, talking with the media, keynoting meetings and attending many others. Each of these experiences brought home to me the prevalence in the minds of our critics and our detractors of a good deal of muddled thinking.