December 17, 2012
Well, 2 years of writing and learning are complete with this issue of the newsletter. As I reflect on the past two years, a few things are obvious to me.
First, passing on trusted information to patients and parents has made the day to day experience of practicing pediatrics more enjoyable. Disseminating education weekly allows us to feel less pressured to rush through preventative information in the clinic and instead focus more on the needs of parents and patients alike.
Second, medicine is changing fast! The pace at which new developments are coming is daunting. The change in disease patterns and treatments is constant. Frankly, as you may have noticed, we are less well now than ever in recent memory. In the next issue of the newsletter, I am going to lay out the case that people were healthier 100 years ago.
Third, Obamacare is a great unknown for us as providers of care and also you the consumer. My hope is that there is a push for physicians to have time with patients to help teach and provide guidance. It would be nice to see a system that rewards quality and time rather than "treating and streeting" a patient.
This newsletter's goal is to provide you with cutting edge information that can hopefully be used for the betterment of your family and yourself. It has always been my hope that these last 2 years of education have kept you healthier, smarter and balanced.
The next 12 months will most certainly bring to light fantastic new developments in medicine that will help to level the playing field of disease management. Genetic testing, biochemical analysis and new treatments are coming fast. Personalized medicine will be the future and it cannot come too soon. Targeted therapy will reduce medical errors and wasted time on poor quality treatments.
We are already seeing the clinical value of genetic testing in regards to diet and micronutrient deficiencies in diseases like Crohn's and Autism. The next plan is to test for the functional ability of patients to tolerate medicines and herbals without side effects.
The future is bright and I thank each one of my readers for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your life.
With respect and gratitude,
