Decisions, Decisions

There are many times as a physician that we must decide on activities that supercede our professional responsibilities. I recently had to make such a decision, albeit minor: should I attend the American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting in New Orleans, LA or take the time to travel to visit colleges with my son?

Needless to say, this decision was relatively easy.

Unfortunately, it leaves me a bit stale on the front of the latest and greatest in news coming from the ACC Annual Scientific Sessions in New Orleans. I elected to stay behind on call last weekend, since I am traveling today. But I am encouraged that I can keep up with some of the major late-breaking clinical trials on-line since many of them will be simultaneously published as they are presented. At least this way it gives us non-attenders a chance to peruse the data more carefully and formulate our own conclusions and insights. While there are some who have argued this "fast-track" of review might not subject studies to adequate scruitiny for publication, I still appreciate the opportunity to review the data presented at my own, less frenetic pace on-line. With the dissemination of information in this way, the larger populace of the internet-surfers can now chime in on the studies by way of blogs and commentary, such as the recently-added interactive "Journal Club to Go" on the webpage of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology's website.

So bear with me as I shuttle from place to place this week - today I'm in Ann Arbor, MI. After all, there are important decisions being made...

-Wes