Tuesday, August 05, 2014

Post #4038, eight years later

The eighth anniversary of this blog slipped by on August 2.  That's 4038 posts, including this one, drawing several million page views.  From time to time, I've thought about stopping, but then a whole new set of topics emerge, and I say, "Not just yet!" Thank you all, especially the regulars, for reading.

My purpose is to serve as an advocate for patient-driven care, eliminating preventable harm, fostering transparency of clinical outcomes, and encouraging front-line driven process improvement.  When I take on people who act in ways counter to those goals, I do so in the hope of stimulating discussion and, yes, putting some pressure on those people, but not with ad hominem attacks.  In contrast, when I praise people who are acting in accordance with those goals, I mean it to be very, very personal--thanking them for their leadership and, sometimes, courage.

The following compendium might or might not surprise you.  Key words in posts have included:

Quality -- 902 posts
Doctors -- 708
Patient safety -- 642
BIDMC -- 601
Harm -- 407
Nurses -- 356
Lean -- 348
Leadership -- 3222
Transparency -- 310
Residents -- 230
Institute for Healthcare Improvement -- 188
Partners Healthcare -- 158; Brigham and Women's -- 95; MGH --53;
Medical students -- 156
Soccer -- 135
Careers -- 113
Blue Cross Blue Shield -- 109
Preventable -- 108
Incentives -- 73
Infrastructure -- 70
SEIU -- 68; Corporate campaign -- 36
NHS -- 61
Global payments -- 60
Don Berwick -- 55
Robotic surgery -- 43
Ohio (especially children's hospitals) -- 41
Jim Conway -- 34
Brent James --34
University of Illinois -- 32
Telluride Patient Safety Camp -- 30
Peter Pronovost -- 27
Bob Wachter -- 25
Saskatchewan -- 21
Jeroen Bosch Hospital -- 19
Gene Lindsey -- 19
e-Patient Dave deBronkart -- 18
Proton beam -- 18
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center -- 18
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center -- 10

13 comments:

Mitch said...

Hope there are many, many more.

Jane said...

Very cool.

Jeff said...

I read them and use them.... Thanks!

Susannah said...

Thank you, Paul, for eight years of thought-provoking, informative and above all well-written posts. Can it really be so long? It seems like just the other day I was petitioning the powers that be to (at two successive firms) let me have access to your blog (ooh, blogs are dangerous!) because I was a hospital bond analyst and it was relevant to my portfolio. And now you are no longer a CEO of a major hospital and I no longer specialize in healthcare bonds (though I can never give up my fascination with the sector, it is a relief not to have to opine on the effect of the ACA every week). Still I start every morning with your blog on my emails. Thank you again, my friend.

David Shaywitz ‏@DShaywitz said...

From Twitter:

Hadn't appreciated @Paulflevy has been blogging for 8y, with 4038 posts to his credit-great stuff, Paul, hope this is just the beginning...

Bruce said...

Yours is one of the VERY few blogs I read everyday. Thanks so much for your thoughtful words and exposing me to great initiatives going on around health care and beyond.

Glad you are continuing!

Anonymous said...

Glad you are continuing. I read almost every day and I am so grateful for the education you have given to me.

George said...

Do not stop!

Barry Carol said...

I've learned a heck of a lot from these posts over the years. I hope you will keep them coming.

Ellen said...

Happy anniversary! Glad it's "not just yet!"

Anonymous said...

It’s just amazing!; the thoughtful work you do every day across so many areas of substance. Not a doc, nor in your primary domain, yet almost all the posts are interesting, engaging and mind expanding. I only read about 6 blogs, few match your daily production. I have gained an understanding of the substance behind the robotic tool (not much, if anything), the Partners battle (I expect Nesson turns over in his grave every time Coakley speaks, much less their CEO) and the check list value (across a range of human endeavor). and so much more.

Congrats and keep it up.

nonlocal MD said...

I have been reading for 7 of those 8 years and have enjoyed most every one. Thanks.

Jim Conway said...

Thanks Paul for all you give... and take... in service to others, Jim