We often hear lately that physicians don’t KNOW what things cost, and are thus disempowered from helping patients control costs. This item arrived today from The Medical Professionalism Blog, the blog of the ABIMF, the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation –

“In January, I wrote about my surgical experience for a detached retina. Since then, I met Neel Shah and learned about his organization, Costs of Care.  I also read the essays of his essay contest winners. Neel wants to bring awareness of the cost of specific tests and treatments to physicians and patients alike.”

The post is at http://blog.abimfoundation.org/doctor-how-much-does-it-cost/

http://costsofcare.org says:

“Costs of Care, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is a social venture that helps doctors understand how the decisions they make impact what patients pay for care. By harnessing social media, mobile applications, and other information technologies, we give doctors and patients the information they need to deflate medical bills.”

e-Patient Dave

"e-Patient Dave" deBronkart is a co-founder of our Society and past board chair. He survived a near-fatal kidney cancer by being an e-patient long before he'd heard the word. Today he evangelizes participatory medicine, patient empowerment, and patient data access as a keynote speaker and at epatientdave.com.