Aaron Carroll, MD, MS

Associate Professor of Pediatrics & Director of the Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research
Aaron E. Carroll, MD, MS is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. He is also the Director of the Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research. Dr. Carroll has published some of the seminal work on physician views on various types of health care reform, and continues to be a sought after speaker on the topic and has been called upon to appear on national TV and radio programs, including the Colbert Report, to talk about the Affordable Care Act and its implications for the future. He is the Primary Investigator on a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to study the true impact of malpractice claims on the practice of medicine. He has been called upon to present his findings at numerous meetings and at a variety of settings.

Associate Director of Children's Health Services Research
Dr. Carroll's research focuses on the study of information technology to improve pediatric care and areas of health policy including physician malpractice, the pharmaceutical industry/physician relationship, and health care reform. He has published research on the relationship between pharma and health professionals, and how educational interventions can affect their interaction and behavior and has presented his findings in professional interviews and platforms.

Leading Pediatric Informaticist in the U.S.
Dr. Carroll was one of the first to study the use of mobile devices, such as Palm Pilots, in actual care and has written numerous publications on the subject. He has held millions of dollars in various government agency grants to explore the use of information technology in health care and is one of the leading pediatric informaticists in the U.S. Dr. Carroll has also served in this capacity in committees for the American Academy of Pediatrics and is the co-founder of Medical Data Solutions, one of the first software companies to create programs for health professionals for mobile devices.

Co-author of Don't Swallow Your Gum: Myths, Half-Truths, and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health
Dr. Carroll earned a BA in chemistry from Amherst College, an MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and an MS in health services from the University of Washington, where he was also a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar. He is the co-author of Don't Swallow Your Gum: Myths, Half-Truths, and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health, published by St.Martin's Press. His work has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, and many other national publications and he has appeared on programs such as Good Morning America, CBS Evening News, ABC News Now, and The Colbert Report.

Health Care In America-What's Going On?
Listening to media coverage about the US health care system, it can seem impossible to get a real handle on what's going on. Moreover, understanding what the future holds for health care reform, and how it will affect people, businesses, and the country doesn't appear possible. Dr. Carroll, a leading expert on health care reform, uses publicly available data and unbiased research to cut through the rhetoric and clearly explain the issues with our current system. He explains how the Affordable Care Act really works, details what it contains, and how it will be implemented over the next decade. At the conclusion, audience members truly gain the understanding of the complexity of the problem along with the frustration that there are no easy fixes; any moves we make will have trade-offs. Most important, Dr. Carroll discusses the current proposals for reform, the leading ideas for innovation in the health care system, AND their pros and cons.

Dr. Carroll has published some of the seminal work on physician views on various types of health care reform, and continues to be a sought after speaker on the topic. He has been called upon to appear on national TV and radio programs, including the Colbert Report, to talk about health care reform and the Affordable Care Act and its implications for the future.

Malpractice Is Broken!
We can debate the specifics of the problem and the ways in which we can fix it, but almost no one will dispute the fact that the malpractice system is broken. Too few legitimate cases see the light of day and far too many cases without merit are clogging up the system. While politicians are quick to lay blame on one group or another, the truth is far more complex. Dr. Carroll describes the many studies that have been done on our malpractice system, as well as the ways in which their results are often misunderstood. He reviews the various attempts at reform that have occurred in different states, and delivers resulting lessons from those efforts.

Dr. Carroll was the Primary Investigator on a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to study the true impact of malpractice claims on the practice of medicine. He has been called upon to present his findings at numerous meetings and at a variety of settings.

The Future of Information Technology In Health Care
Although great improvements in the use of information technology always seem to be right around the corner, our health care system is still in the stone age with respect to its use. It is shocking, and somewhat embarrassing, that while computers and information systems are the backbone of nearly every other industry or endeavor in the world, the health care system often lacks even the simplest of improvements. The HITECH Act promises to change all of this, and claims are being made that real innovation is just around the corner, but there are any number of barriers still standing in the way of progress. Dr. Carroll discusses the many attempts made, why they have succeeded or failed, and how we can move forward. He covers the many misunderstandings of information technology, the potential it holds, and the limitations that are often ignored.

Dr. Carroll was one of the first to study the use of mobile devices, such as Palm Pilots, in actual care and has written numerous publications on the subject. He has held millions of dollars in various government agency grants to explore the use of information technology in health care and is one of the leading pediatric informaticists in the U.S. Dr. Carroll has also served in this capacity in committees for the American Academy of Pediatrics and is the co-founder of Medical Data Solutions, one of the first software companies to create programs for health professionals for mobile devices.