Pioneering Evidenced Based Medicine

An estimated 20-30% of U.S. medical procedures, tests, and therapies were unnecessary.

Dr. Jack Wennberg identified this systemic problem and created the Dartmouth Atlas of Geographical Variation to document it. When his Foundation for Informed Medical Decision-Making needed support, George Bennett and Chris McKown formed Health Dialog, with initial backing from Spencer Trask & Co.

As Wennberg’s academic insights were transformed into practical solutions, Health Dialog grew to 2,000 employees and $330 million in revenue by delivering evidence-based medical information to 24 million people. The British United Provident Association acquired the firm for $775 million.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim recognized Evidence-based Medicine as a new form “of knowledge with the power to reshape a major field of human practice.”

Because of Health Dialog, the adoption of evidence-based practices by the largest payers and Federal policy-makers drove the formation of the Affordable Care Act andhealth insurance to over 45 million people. Most significantly, Wennberg’s Evidence-based Medicine revolution, with Health Dialog as its leading supporter, has saved approximately 18 million lives and improved care for hundreds of millions more.