That's what New York physician Leo Shea proposed recently at a Massachusetts town meeting on Lyme, according to to this article from the North Shore Town Online. Lyme is rampant here in Mass., though so far this year the heavy snow cover has delayed its onset somewhat. One of my colleagues had Lyme and was misdiagnosed. She was hospitalized for days before a doc finally figured out what it was she had. And she's just one of many such stories I've heard. I know Lyme can be difficult to diagnose, because it can present in a lot of strange ways, but I'm thinking making Lyme-related CME mandatory might not be a bad idea, at least for states where it's common. While I'd like to think docs here and in other Lyme-y states would do it on their own, obviously, many aren't.
The need for better diagnostic testing was echoed by several attendees at the forum. Some asserted that high-quality testing is available, but is not being used by local physicians.
Kay Lyon, of Wenham, described her daughter as being "close to death," even after treatment by 16 different physicians. Lyon made the diagnosis of Lyme disease herself and, in hope of helping others avoid what her family went through, maintains a Web site - www.lymesite.com - on the topic.
Meanwhile, the local politician in attendance promised to "start a dialogue." Oh good, that should take care of the problem! I think Wenham resident and town hall attendee Ginny Stephenson said it best when she "spoke of the need for 'physicians' forums, not public forums.'"
