WowInsider.com put up an article on the mis-understanding of raid leaders when it comes to the good healers vs. the bad healers. 

They rely on the healing meters and most times do not understand the importance of the Discipline spec for Priests, or the role of healers in general. 

Two of the comments there make the point exactly:

Unlike dps players healers are doing other things than just hurting the boss--we're cleansing poison, removing disease, decursing, removing harmful magic, battle rezzing, etc. None of which show up on HPS meters.

This ridiculous reliance on healing meters as the sole test of a healer's performance is causing massive problems in ulduar where people are hitting difficult content for the first time in a long time and looking for somebody to blame and stupid people like you look at some meaningless numbers on a healing meter and blame the wrong people.


Healing meters can be useful but one's hps should not be the end all and be all when it comes to judging how well a healer is doing in your raid. I'm the healing raid leader for my guild and I'm aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the healers under my wing.

Any of them can heal effectively, I can tell you that. But the ones who truly shine are not always at the top of the healing meters. Our disc priest is usually at the bottom, but has done a hell of a lot of mitigation during the fight. Paladins may not top the raid healing Shamans, but the tanks they're assigned to aren't dying, either. All of them also knowing when to move, when not to, are raid aware and aren't gluing their eyes solely to the green bars. That's what makes them effective healers, regardless of where they place on the healing meters.


Discipline priests can hold better in battles than full Holy because of their strengths from talent points, and although they don't range high on healing meters, they can hold up longer.

Mitigation doesn't show up on the meters therefore the effects are unworthy?  Ha !  Point the ignorant blamers to this article.

http://www.wowinsider.com/2009/05/17/forum-post-of-the-day-be-disciplined-about-healing-meters