The Mythology of Science-Based Medicine

[PR4NOW]

An interesting post at Huffington Post with some rather eye opening stats. PR

huffingtonpost.com/dr-larry...

[Bluedragon]

Very interesting, some I knew- but not the heart figures. Makes you think.

[Glynisrose]

Personally I am convinced that this 'perfect model patient' does not, nor never has existed, I swerve blood tests as much as possible and always ask my doctor if any new tablets he wants me to take clash with what I am already taking! (he doesn't like that) I was prescribed a tablet for high blood pressure (I'm already taking one!!) it was derived from snake venom and reacted badly with my NDT, so I refused to take it!! people often forget that doctors are ADVISOR'S only and cannot force you to take medicines they are often paid to prescribe!!

[SilverAvocado in reply to Glynisrose]

I often think they are waiting for the 'model patient' to walk in. But instead they get someone more complicated and inconvenient. But they still treat that person person like the model.

[SilverAvocado]

Really interesting. This has kind of been my conclusion since being sick, and shortly before that working on sociology of clinical trials.

I've come to the conclusion that you can prove anything with a clinical trial. All you need to do is choose exactly which patients to include, symptoms to monitor, and then which parts of the results to publish. At no point including the views of the patients on their treatment and whether they got better - it's easy to report a patient as having improved, when they actually feel they are sicker than before, by only including the symptoms your drug does well at, etc, etc.

[Chancery]

Hugely interesting, PR. Only proves what I'm always saying, most of the time doctors have no clue what they are doing or whether it works, and they care less. All that worries them is their status and APPPEARING to be the right and wise one. Not acceptable...

[Glynisrose]

With ALL clinical trials the results are decided before the trial is begun....