Health Care Reform/Independence

The Wall Street Journal published an article entitled, "Spine Surgery Found No Better Than Placebo". Let's not get caught up in whether or not the spinal surgery works, let's look at the politics of this article. Health care reform, as currently proposed, allows the government to use "expert advise, based on the 'best' research to determine which procedures will be paid for by health insurance...not just government insurance, but health insurance. These decisions, in theory will be based on, independent studies. Who funded these studies? The federal government. Doesn't that make these studies about as independent as my right hip is from left hip?

One can not be considered independent if you have dog in the fight. The studies were conducted in the US, Britain and Australia. Does it matter that two of the three countries have government health care? Does it matter that the sample of participants was limited in the US because many surgeons who believe the procedure refused to participate? Does this affect the sample, and thus the outcome? Maybe.

What is clear, is that the outcome of these government funded studies may allow the governments to stop covering a service that people and physicians have evidence is helpful to patients.

The issue here is the definition of independence. Shame on the researchers and the reporters who use the word independent in this situation. We must change our thinking to match the times!