I would be interested to compile a list of the most blatant PACE "non-starter flaws" that have been identified ... but with a twist. The "headline" in a short'ish sentence, followed by a nice simple illustration so lay people - non-medical, non-technical - can easily see what the essential problem is ... or maybe people qualified to understand, but too little time or inclination to!
I've started off with two, to give the idea:-
I've started off with two, to give the idea:-
- Unblinded trial combined with subjective outcome measures.
Akin to trialling which fresh carrots people think taste best after they have prepared and cooked them, but having to leave all the labels on so participants know if they are from a supermarket, local allotment society, organic farm, etc.
- Very poor case definition criteria, inevitably including other than ME sufferers, yet it recommended treatments presumed safe/relevant for ME.
Akin to researching the migratory routes of ospreys, but radio-tagging not just ospreys, but also other birds which likely migrate as per researchers’ pet theory. Then interpret and apply the results as if all the tagged birds were ospreys.