Move keeps the government officials from using its power and influence to direct the practice of medicine……………………….
Trump Administration Cuts National Guidelines Clearinghouse
CCHF Praises End of Repository, as the Bold Move Takes Away One Element of Government Control
- PAUL, Minn.—In a bold move, the Trump administration has defunded the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) National Guidelines Clearinghouse (NGC). Effective July 16, the clearinghouse will no longer house the repository of “guidelines” that are often used to direct physicians on the care of their patients.
Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) is applauding the shutdown of this clearinghouse, which has given hospitals and health plans government-backed tools to decide what treatments they will make available or cover.
“The end of this federal repository of treatment protocols is not only a monetary savings for the country, but also keeps the government officials from using its power and influence to direct the practice of medicine,” said CCHF president and co-founder Twila Brase. “The decision to defund this clearinghouse takes away one element of control that can be imposed by electronic health records (EHRs). Doctors are often tracked by their adherence to these and other standardized treatment protocols as a way to measure the so-called ‘quality’ of their practice and their treatment decisions—which is at the core of the controversial ‘evidence-based medicine’ philosophy. They experience penalties for ‘going outside the lines’ despite making the best decisions for their patients. Therefore, the end of this taxpayer-funded clearinghouse is good for patients and doctors.”
According to StatNews.com, “some doctors are not fond of the proliferation of guidelines, which they blame for a culture of cookie-cutter care that’s bereft of art and flexibility— and that exposes them to liability if they happen to deviate from doctrine.”
CCHF will soon release a groundbreaking book by Brase exposing how the government-imposed certified EHR has negatively affected both doctors and patients. Available this summer and published by Beaver’s Pond Press, “Big Brother in the Exam Room: The Dangerous Truth About Electronic Health Records” will show how Congress forced doctors to install a data-collecting surveillance system in the exam room. It includes comments from doctors and hard facts from over 125 studies and reports about the impact of EHRs on privacy, patient care, costs and patient safety. Brase’s extensively researched work also exposes how patient treatment decisions are controlled and tracked by the government-mandated EHR; shares specific steps back to freedom, privacy and patient safety; and communicates why Americans must act now.
For more information about CCHF, visit www.cchfreedom.org, its Facebook page or its Twitter feed @CCHFreedom. Also view the media page for CCHF here. For more about CCHF’s initiative The Wedge of Health Freedom, visit www.JointheWedge.com, The Wedge Facebook page or follow The Wedge on Twitter @WedgeofFreedom.
