Please can we keep this thread on track - it is about Dr Myhill's campaign for a public enquiry, not the whys and why nots of clinical trials and anecdotal evidence.
You're right Andy, I had hoped this would only be a brief diversion but I'm now realising that this is a big topic on it's own.
I actually think this discussion is directly relevant to Dr MPhil's campaign. It is important that people can judge its usefulness and that will depend on a clear understanding of what constitutes reliable evidence. So I think laelia's questions are very pertinent.
You're right Jonathan. This understanding is necessary in order to judge the specifics of the campaign and what treatments it is promoting. However, it's not necessary to consider the broader question the title of this thread asks "Would you like a Public Inquiry into the Medical Abuse of ME Sufferers?". It is for that reason that I will set up a new thread to discuss what constitutes reliable evidence.
[Edit: New thread now set up here:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/what-constitutes-reliable-evidence.50725/]
Sometimes it is pointed out that physicians may not have the resources to do proper trials. The answer to that is that they should not then sell unproven treatments while writing books indicating that they are well founded.
I will revisit this point later on. I don't believe Jonathan that things are as clear cut as you think they are in terms of what is 'proven' and 'unproven'. So I would like to continue this discussion first.
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