An inspiring post supporting the use of evidence-based medicine.
Often times, what’s deemed common-sense and based on ideology is proved wrong by the evidence. And it’s up to both patients and doctors to accept the findings of studies that disproves previously accepted dogma.
Physician David Newman gives us his best Jack Nicholson impression in driving that point home: “The critical question that looms for health care reform is whether patients, doctors and experts are prepared to set aside ideology in the face of data. Can we abide by the evidence when it tells us that antibiotics don’t clear ear infections or help strep throats? Can we stop asking for, and writing, these prescriptions? Can we stop performing, and asking for, knee and back surgeries? Can we handle what the evidence reveals? Are we ready for the truth?”
If we choose not to change our medical practice based on the data, what’s the point of having the evidence at all?
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{ 2 comments }
I think Dr. Newman makes an excellent point. I often wonder how much ego plays a part in specific recommendations. For my part, I know there are times when referring a patient makes me think “Man, I really thought I could help that person.”
Maybe that’s just the growth of a young doctor, I’d just think years of experience would make it more challenging to accept research-based evidence that may be contrary.
Not so fast, Kevin: there are plenty of examples the other way. For example, my common sense always told me that tight diabetic control in elderly hospitalized patients was fraught with problems, and now – after years of finger-pointing by various authorities – my common sense is proving correct.
Also, I’m old enough to remember med school lectures never to use beta blockers in an MI or CHF for fear of negative inotrope effects; it was evedenced-based research that later said to use them – not theory or “ideology”.
There’s lots of hidden ideology in evidence-based medicine: who decides what null hypothesis is funded or published?
Finally, evidence-based medicine yields facts, not truths. It is when small facts are turned into big truths; e.g. when one small study of hospitalized diabetics is morphed into a mandatory truth -defying common sense – that all hell breaks loose.
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