Online Public Relations Thoughts

What this person is doing to get medical reform is PR at its best. He probably wouldn't call it that if asked, but he is exposing problems of medical quality and helping support efforts to cure them. PR is action more than words. In this case, it is both. The reporter highlights the efforts of those trying to measure quality and quality improvement in hospitals -- a slow and thankless job with resistance from the medical establishment. In order to do that, doctors and hospital administrators have to admit they have a problem. That is hard enough. But, as hospitals begin to feature quality ratings, the reluctant will follow because they must. It won't be long before everyone can go to a database and get a quality rating on every hospital and doctor in the country. When ratings are generally known, medical quality will become self-sufficient. No hospital or doctor with any self-respect will want a poor rating. The few that won't care will deserve to go out of business.