Why Blog?

Editor's Note: We'd like to welcome the newest blogger for Healthcare Inforamtics, David Levin, M.D. Dr. Levin is the CMIO of Cleveland Clinic and he brings more than three decades of experience to the table. He will be blogging for us on a continual basis and has written this blog to explain why he is doing this. 

To blog is to know that inevitably you will be wrong. You will likely be embarrassed when looking back from the future with the advantage of hindsight.

So why do it?

For me it's about being challenged and pushing boundaries through dialogue. Great blogging makes me rethink my position, exposes me to something new or makes me laugh or cry. A good blog is also a good filter. It helps me to troll the vast array of information flowing through the Internet.

As far as topics, expect a diverse buffet with a focus on analysis and commentary. I write from the perspective of a physician and executive now in my 3rd decade of working in healthcare. I have been fortunate to experience our healthcare delivery system from a variety of perspectives: as a physician in training and then as a family doctor; as an associate professor in a teaching role; as the leader of a large multispecialty faculty practice; as a health plan medical director and hospital vice president; and as a CMIO who has implemented multiple clinical information systems in different parts of the US and overseas. Perhaps most importantly I write as a member of the “sandwich generation” with three children, a spouse who is a practicing OB/GYN, and elderly parents and in-laws who have had both chronic and acute care needs. In other words I have also been a patient, caregiver and amateur care navigator.

All in all, it’s been a heck of a ride!

One last thing.

A really great blog is also a community. It's a living, evolving social network. The interactions that go on in the comments section and by extension in other social forums drive the conversation forward. This blog will aim for that as well. I hope to “see” you in the comments section!