Bringing science to medicine: An interview with larry weed, inventor of the problemoriented medical record

Larry Weed, MD is known as the father of the problem-oriented medical record, inventor of the now-ubiquitous SOAP (subjective/objective/assessment/plan) note, and developer of the Problem-Oriented Medical Information System (PROMIS). (1) His paper “Medical Records that Guide and Teach” (2) is one of the most-cited informatics papers of all time, having been referenced nearly a thousand times. Over the course of his career, he has worked as a scientist, physician, entrepreneur, and, most recently, health system visionary, and has always been a fierce and tireless advocate for a safer, better organized, more efficient, and science-driven health system. (3) On December 28, 2010, JMcG conducted an oral history interview with Dr Weed at his home in Underhill, Vermont using questions prepared by JSA and DFS. The interview was condensed, rearranged, and edited by AW, and is presented here in Dr Weed’s own words, with the exception of (1) minor additions, clarifi cations, and references, indicated in brackets, (2) this introduction and the conclusion, and (3) an epilogue presenting a biography of Dr Weed.