All healthcare is local (or so they say). Last month, I asked readers of my monthly newsletter how American medicine stacks up to other nations. Are we leading the world or can we be doing better? Hundreds of readers weighed in. Here’s what they had to say: My...
Poll Results: Who should get a 2nd Covid-19 booster shot?
The FDA and CDC approved a second booster for Americans over the age of 50, however, both organizations stopped short of recommending it for everyone who’s eligible. As a result, people are confused about what to do. This survey was first published in my newsletter...
Poll results: Revisiting the most controversial Covid-19 questions
Last month, we returned to some of the most interesting and controversial questions of the past year, each inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic. With the survey now complete, check out the infographic below to see how people’s opinions have changed. Here are the results:...
Poll: Is flying in your future?
It has been a long winter for many Americans. With spring right around the corner, the allure of air travel is in full bloom. Last month's survey asked readers of this newsletter about their plans to fly in the near future, their concerns traveling and what (if...
Poll results: How should we deal with Omicron?
The January 2022 reader poll asked for opinions about the best ways to manage the highly transmissible variant, which now accounts for 99% of all new cases in the United States. Here are the results: My thoughts: The results of this survey align with the divided views...
Poll: Are you afraid of the Omicron variant?
Back in March 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, and again in April, I asked readers of this newsletter to quantify their concern over the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The results showed a significant increase in worry from the first month of the pandemic to the...
Poll results: If you were advising President Biden on healthcare
Throughout his presidential campaign and time in office, Joe Biden has made a lot of healthcare promises and outlined a wide variety of healthcare priorities for his administration. Anyone paying even the slightest attention to American politics knows Congress won’t...
Survey: What are our biggest fears as patients?
It is common, when going to the doctor with a medical problem, to imagine the worst-case scenario playing out. Last month, leading up to Halloween, subscribers of my Monthly Musings on American Healthcare were asked what scares them most as patients. Here are the...
Poll results: Is it safe to vaccinate America’s kids?
With the higher transmissibility of the Delta variant, the herd immunity threshold will now require an estimated at 90% of Americans to be immune to the coronavirus. And that will require nearly all kids and teenagers to be vaccinated, which leads us to the results of...
Who’s responsible for the latest Covid-19 surge?
Covid-19 cases hit a six-month high in August with the most daily infections since February. At the time of this survey, the United States was once again reporting more than 100,000 new cases each day. I asked readers who they were holding MOST accountable for this...









