Better care, best information: Kenneth Falchuk gathers physicians to improve quality of diagnoses,treatment

Boston-Based Best Doctors Inc. is a self-described "medical knowledge company" that has compiled an international database of top-flight doctors who serve as consultants to members and their doctors when questions arise regarding the diagnosis and treatment of serious illnesses. The organization was founded in 1989 by Kenneth H. Falchuk, MD, and a group of other physicians affiliated with the Harvard University School of Medicine. Dr. Falchuk, professor of medicine at Harvard, an active member of the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a member of the affiliate teaching staff at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is Best Doctors' chairman.

Dr. Falchuk describes what inspired the concept for Best Doctors Inc., which now serves more than 10 million members in 30 countries:

Q. A major problem in U.S. healthcare is the high number of medical errors. Why is this occurring and what's needed to at least minimize such errors?

A. Medical errors often are the result of our fragmented healthcare system and a reduction in hospital staff. This reduction in staff increases the patient-to-clinician ratio, which means that one clinician has to take care of more patients in the same amount of time. Often, the physician is not devoting the time to think about the patient's problem in detail. Moreover, that same clinician may not have access to all the medical information on the patient because that information is in silos and not easily accessible.

The holistic, focused approach to patient care brings together all the medical information available on a particular patient. This helps reduce errors caused by the fragmentation of care. Furthermore, the holistic approach allows treating doctors to have a comprehensive analysis of their patient in front of them at the moment of care.