The hunt for the first brave Health 2.0 experimenters has begun. The place: Austin, Texas and the surrounding counties. Nearly 1.5 million people live in Central Texas, over half of them in family units. They are educated well above the national average, have more wireless capability than any other city after Seattle and San Francisco/Bay Area, and are considered a blend of the “weird” in Austin, and the “soccer mom” population in outlying communities. They also have a mixed population, mostly white and a third Hispanic, and one out of four has no health insurance.

My garden grows beautiful roses. I go out in the early morning when the dew is still on the blooms and choose a full near-bursting bud. The petals are thick, rich in color and velvety soft to the touch. I cut the stem at a sharp exposing angle and plunge it immediately into a waiting vase of warm water...this, I am told, keeps flowers fresh the longest.

The wildflowers this year have been the best in years; whole hillsides are purple with lupine, great swathes of orange poppies and golden mustard glow in every direction. Gorgeous!

About 2 years ago in the summer of 2006, there were perhaps 3-4 sites where one could rate and review physicians. As the summer of 2008 approaches, there are over 30 such sites. All of these sites are competing for the same eyeballs, hoping these eyeballs might also submit a review for a physician or three. Needless to say, there is no single dominant player -- not one has crossed over a million ratings. And given the current state of these web sites, no viable player from amongst these appears likely to emerge.

Physician ratings are here to stay, and trying to decipher them can be a bit overwhelming. Navigating through the aggregation of information can cause a bit of confusion and spinning for most folks.

My grandmother used to tell me I'd catch more flies with honey than I would with vinegar, that I'd have better success accomplishing my ends by being positive.

Several years ago I suffered from reflex sympathetic dystrophy, a painful and uncommon sympathetic nervous system disorder that can be disabling. It was still possible to find references to it on the net that called it a psychiatric disorder, although by that time it had been generally recognized as a physical disorder with an accepted course of treatment.

For over 10 years I have tried to help people find competent healthcare. Nothing is more frightening than facing a potential health crisis, and not knowing what to expect from your doctor. Is he/she competent? Kind and compassionate? Does he/she listen well and will he/she treat me with respect? Will I wait a long time in the office?

When I was growing up, doctors were god-like beings who were never questioned. Their word was law. When my father’s doctor told him he was dying in a very callous way and was impatient with Dad's questions, I finally burst out, “Have mercy, you’re telling him he’s dying!” The doctor bridled indignantly and suggested we find another oncologist. I was obliged to apologize to him to get him to agree to continue treating my father.

Dear Visitor,

Thank you for visiting Help Change Health Care. Our goal is to provide you with an open platform where you can voice your thoughts, offer your insights, debate with other contributors, and just participate in the dialogue to help change the dispensation of care in America.

Within this context, please feel free to use this forum to leave public comments or send us private feedback.

Hoping to provide you with friendly, timely and excellent service,
Your humble Admin.