Tim Christie writes in the Eugene Register-Guard that Evidence Based
Medicine (EBM) has taken full root. Once personal experience,
medical
authority, or anecdotal evidence were the physicians’ bases for a
medical
decision. With the latest data from randomized controled trials and
meta-analyses streaming to their palm pilots, EBM is used by
clinicians to
make treatment decisions. EBM standards are also used by journals to
pick
publishable papers and by continuing education programs to teach docs.
And
lets not forget about a payers interest in paying for interventions
that
actually work. Really, isn’t this just common sense? Dr. Norman Kahn,
of
the American Academy of Family Physicians: “Physicians yearn to
deliver what
works,” “So when they learn there is evidence for this vs. no evidence
for
that, they are rapid adopters.”
The missing piece in this account is that sometimes, as we’ve seen
lately,
“no evidence” really means “suppressed negative results.” – Dominic Sisti
Labels: common sense, Dominic Sisti, evidence-based medicine, rapid adopters