I recently came across an interview on Medscape with Harvard School of Public Health professor and healthcare pollster Robert J. Blendon. The author takes the approach that in Dr. Blendon's position, he may have a better feel for where physicians stand on Healthcare Reform. Here are some key points from the article:

-   Medscape: In a national survey of physicians published in September in the New England Journal of Medicine, more than three quarters of respondents agreed that they "have a professional obligation to address societal health policy issues." Does that finding square with your own understanding of physicians' beliefs?

Dr. Blendon: ".......I didn't take doctors' response in the survey as a commitment to society to step back and do anything different from what they're already doing every day of their lives."

-   Medscape inquiring about differing support/opposition from different groups and specialties of physicians to specific parts of the bill:

Dr. Blendon: "......some people in the Senate are saying that the government can't afford to fix the SGR — it's just too expensive and we have to cut back to something we can afford. Well, what happens to physician support if the bill that emerges from the Senate doesn't include a SGR fix?"

I recommend reading the short interview in its entirety.

It also got me thinking. Groups such as the AARP have tremendous influence when it comes to issues that effect our senior citizens. What kind of influence could a unified front of the nation's physicians have on the Healthcare Reform debate? I realize this is an idealized scenario, but if physicians continue to be divided, we may find that we are the biggest losers in this "reformation" and our patients will be a close second.

Please let me know in the comments what you think about the interview and if you think Dr. Blendon has a good feel for most physicians.

For disclosure: My name is Steve Wheelwright.  I am a new Student blogger here at Take Back Medicine. I am currently an MSII at AZCOM Midwestern University. I hope to post more regularly here and have some interesting ideas for the future. I would appreciate any feedback you have.

Thank you.