Post by LymeEnigma on Aug 9, 2008 9:29:23 GMT -8
Activism has caused just as much harm as it has good, though, IMHO. Like Burgdorfer says in Under Our Skin, researchers and physicians have had thirty years to figure out this disease, and yet the progress made is still pretty much nil to none. Public awareness is not much better. Sure, this likely has something to do with the bottom line, but just the same: what could we, as activists be doing differently? What might we do to change our hysteric image?
I think one answer is to change the way we approach PR; instead of spending time and money on rallies and such, spend all of that money on research grants. Make available tempting grants that will only go through if equal numbers of IDSA and ILADS doctors are on the research teams. Do something proactive to make these people sit in a room together and figure out, for once and for all, what the truth truly is. For enough money, I bet enough researchers would be willing to put aside their differences and work together for a while.
Just think of how much valuable research could have been bought with all of the donations made to Dr. Jones' defense fund....
Really, Doctor This can say "this" and Doctor That can say "that," but the fact of the matter is no one has fully solved the puzzle ... and until someone has, the confusion, the misinformation (on both sides), and the divide in treatment will likely continue on.
I think one answer is to change the way we approach PR; instead of spending time and money on rallies and such, spend all of that money on research grants. Make available tempting grants that will only go through if equal numbers of IDSA and ILADS doctors are on the research teams. Do something proactive to make these people sit in a room together and figure out, for once and for all, what the truth truly is. For enough money, I bet enough researchers would be willing to put aside their differences and work together for a while.
Just think of how much valuable research could have been bought with all of the donations made to Dr. Jones' defense fund....
Really, Doctor This can say "this" and Doctor That can say "that," but the fact of the matter is no one has fully solved the puzzle ... and until someone has, the confusion, the misinformation (on both sides), and the divide in treatment will likely continue on.
