Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge

[kaffiend]

A clever satirical commentary about the reliance on evidence based medicine. I know that almost every supplement or therapy that has worked for me has no evidence that it works.

http://www.bmj.com/content/327/7429/1459?tab=full

 

[Marco]

Very nicely put together and a good way of (hopefully) opening debate on a very serious issue.

It appears to me that there has been a tendency to take a very useful tool (RCTs) in certain circumstances and elevating it to a dogma.

Staying with the tools analogy its as if some are saying 'we've looked at all the tools and have decided that a hammer is better than a pair of pliers or a screwdriver. Therefore any job completed with the use of a hammer is guaranteed to be of the highest quality (regardless of gigo) and any job that hasn't involved the use of a hammer isn't worthy of consideration.'

No doubt the next time your car breaks down you'll be deeply reassured when the repairman arrives armed only with a hammer.

 

[kaffiend]

It's a great analogy. I've used it myself to describe the difficulties I've had with conventional doctors, even very good ones.

"We have a hammer."

"I don't need a hammer. I need several tools."

"We have a hammer."

The other unfortunate consequence is to marginalize any treatment options that haven't gone through RCTs, even if they are completely safe (B12 injections, for example). It leads to the thinking that if something untested and/or nonprescription can help you, then your condition must not be that serious.