… but then somehow bounced out, ending Vanderbilt’s season.
While Tyler Tanner didn’t make three points, I hope to do so here:
1. Appearance does not always reflect reality.
2. Appearance can build trust.
3. Appearance reflects reality at DynaMed.
1. Appearance does not always reflect reality:
Some may be old enough to remember when Agent 86, Maxwell Smart on the TV show Get Smart (perhaps in reruns), held his thumb and second finger close together and said, “Missed it by that much!”
Although the appearance of the basketball in the photo suggests otherwise, the reality is that Tyler Tanner missed it… by that much.
Appearance does not always reflect reality.
Why is that my first point? Because I think our competitors sometimes appear to get it right but sometimes miss it by that much… and when it comes to patient care and trust, that just isn’t acceptable. Imagine the tagline, “At XXX, we’re usually right, but sometimes we miss it by that much!”
At DynaMed, we don’t miss.
2. Appearance can build trust:
Twenty years ago, an interesting study appeared in the American Journal of Medicine titled, “What to wear today? Effect of doctor’s attire on the trust and confidence of patients” that found that patients trusted doctors wearing a white coat more than in any other attire. Although you might think the findings might be dated, similar observations were reported in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) just five years ago. While there’s no doubt that a physician’s knowledge, skill, and attitude builds and maintains patient trust, the message here is important: appearance can build trust.
There’s also no doubt that our trustworthy content is prized by customers; indeed, it is our most valuable asset. In addition, though, our customers view us as extremely collaborative and responsive. They are particularly impressed with our willingness to engage directly with clinicians and assist with change management when they switch from a competitor. In other words, in addition to the strength of our content, we appear as caring partners in our relationships, and as in the studies with a physician’s attire, appearance can build trust.
We were recognized again this year as the Best in KLAS top performing clinical decision support solution (DynaMedex® Recognized as 2026 Best in KLAS for Clinical Decision Support - News | EBSCO), and our appearance to customers is a critical component of that ranking. In the above press release, Adam Gale, CEO of KLAS Research, notes, “Winning this award means customers trust you to help them succeed in our rapidly changing healthcare landscape.”
At DynaMed, we don’t miss.
3. Appearance reflects reality at DynaMed:
Rachel Botsman is considered to be an expert on trust in the modern world. Her books, podcasts, and TED talk on trust emphasize that trust comes from integrity, and that people trust when they believe others know what they’re doing (i.e., capability) and why they’re doing it (i.e., character). I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, people trust DynaMed because the people who work here have integrity, capability, and character.
In this case, appearance does, in fact, reflect reality.
At DynaMed, we don’t miss.
Roy Ziegelstein, MD, MACP
Editor in Chief and CMO, DynaMed
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