An HBO Documentary about the Theranos Fraud Raises Concerns
Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos to develop a device that could do 200 tests on a single drop of blood in a minute. She lied; it failed; she is being tried for fraud and conspiracy. The HBO documentary The Inventor tells the story but has some flaws. We can learn lessons from what happened.
Shots Heard: When the antivaccine movement swarms and harasses on social media, what can we do?
Of late, antivaxers active on social media have been ramping up their attacks on their perceived enemies, up to and including attacking even mothers who have lost children to vaccine-preventable disease. A new study looks at the characteristics of this group, even as two doctors form a group to help those who are victims of antivaccine harassment on social media, Shots Heard...
Science-Based Satire: American Academy of Pediatrics Releases New Guidelines on Corporal Punishment
In December of last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated their policy statement on effective discipline. Did it include an algorithm to help caregivers safely dose corporal punishment? No, that's actually pretty absurd. Offensive even, if you think about it. Don't though. Look...a squirrel!
Are those “inactive” ingredients in my medicine really inactive?
Drugs and supplements contain dozens of inactive ingredients. Is this a concern to those with allergies and sensitivities?
For Discussion: Should I Only Write About Fake Stuff If It Is Well-Known?
Does writing about questionable topics that are not well-known do more harm or good? There are arguments on both sides.
The Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians publishes Principles of Care Guidelines. Not surprisingly, they aren’t science-based.
Last week, the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP) published "principles of care" guidelines. Try as they might, naturopathic oncologists tried to represent their specialty as evidence-based. Unsurprisingly, they failed.
Brief Announcement: Price of Consumer Health Book Has Been Slashed
The price of the textbook Consumer Health: A Guide to Intelligent Decisions has been reduced to $9.99 on Amazon.
Lessons in confounding epidemiology: Household cleaning products, the microbiome and childhood obesity
Do eco-friendly cleaning products prevent obesity? Probably not, and you shouldn't be eating them anyway.
Experts slam CAM lab tests, call for better regulation
Experts review the evidence and find that common CAM lab tests have "little or no clinical benefit" and are "a potential risk to patient safety." Regulatory reform is urgently needed to protect the public.
Fighting Online for SBM
Physicians are being harassed offline by antivax and other trolls. We can't let that happen.