From an article in ScienceNews.org, which sheds some doubt on the argument of “hard science” that Western Medicine often uses to distinguish itself from the “pseudo-science” of Alternative Medicine.
…Everybody thinks they know what evidence means, but defining what counts as evidence is about as easy as negotiating peace in the Middle East. As a result, demands for “evidence-based medicine” pose some serious practical problems. In fact, the label “evidence based” applied to medicine has been confused, abused and misused so much lately that some experts suggest that the evidence-based medicine movement is in a state of crisis.
As evidence for that sweeping generalization, I cite a recent paper by Trisha Greenhalgh (a physician and health care professor) and collaborators, titled “Evidence-based medicine: a movement in crisis?” The question mark notwithstanding, Greenhalgh and colleagues document several aspects of evidence-based medicine that clearly illustrate critical problems with its implementation.
For one thing, the “evidence based” brand has been co-opted by special interests (such as companies that make medicines) to further their commercial interests. Companies often define both the disease and its evidence-based treatment: female sexual arousal disorder (treat with sildenafil); male baldness (treat with finasteride); low bone density (treat with alendronate). It’s almost like what counts as a disease (or a disease “risk factor”) depends on whether there is evidence for a drug to “treat” it.
…Everybody thinks they know what evidence means, but defining what counts as evidence is about as easy as negotiating peace in the Middle East. As a result, demands for “evidence-based medicine” pose some serious practical problems. In fact, the label “evidence based” applied to medicine has been confused, abused and misused so much lately that some experts suggest that the evidence-based medicine movement is in a state of crisis.
As evidence for that sweeping generalization, I cite a recent paper by Trisha Greenhalgh (a physician and health care professor) and collaborators, titled “Evidence-based medicine: a movement in crisis?” The question mark notwithstanding, Greenhalgh and colleagues document several aspects of evidence-based medicine that clearly illustrate critical problems with its implementation.
For one thing, the “evidence based” brand has been co-opted by special interests (such as companies that make medicines) to further their commercial interests. Companies often define both the disease and its evidence-based treatment: female sexual arousal disorder (treat with sildenafil); male baldness (treat with finasteride); low bone density (treat with alendronate). It’s almost like what counts as a disease (or a disease “risk factor”) depends on whether there is evidence for a drug to “treat” it.
–Linus Pauling, Ph.D
Full article is here on ScienceNews.org ….
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