Tag: science based medicine
Legislative alchemy and abortion: How the fall of Roe v. Wade will degrade science-based medicine
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday, eliminating the federal right to an abortion. What does that mean for science-based reproductive health and science-based medicine in general? Hint: It's not good, even for areas of medicine outside of reproductive health.
Medical debt vs. universal health insurance: The interface between SBM and policy
This blog has long argued that the best medicine is science-based medicine (SBM). The problem is that in the US SBM is often not accessible, except at ruinous cost, which is why I argue that we have to broaden our definition of SBM to include the systems that deliver it and pay for it.
How to design high quality acupuncture trials: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Acupuncture advocates have published guidelines for "rigorous" acupuncture randomized controlled trials. While that sounds good on the surface, the devil is in the details, which reveal that the dedication to scientific rigor is perhaps not so strong.
Science-based medicine isn’t just for CAM. The case of ivermectin shows that it never was.
Another large randomized controlled trial for ivermectin showed no efficacy for the early treatment of COVID-19. This is not a surprise to science-based medicine advocates. Here's why the story of ivermectin shows that SBM isn't just for "complementary and alternative medicine" (CAM) —and never was.
Why It’s Worthwhile to Debunk Shivambu
Richard Feynman famously said, "The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool". This is the most important lesson skepticism has to offer.
Doctors Must be Honest with Parents About Known Risks of COVID-19
Pediatricians know their job is to present accurate and thorough information so parents can make informed decisions. Contrarian doctors who write about COVID-19 should spend less time lecturing pediatricians and more time learning from them.
COVID-19 and Tooth Loss
Reports that teeth are spontaneously falling out after COVID-19 recovery are surfacing. Is tooth loss yet another complication of this disease?
Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump. Now what for science-based medicine?
In 2016 and 2020, scientists expressed surprise and alarm at the results of the Presidential election. In 2016 it was alarm that someone as antiscience as Donald Trump was elected, and in 2020 it was over how close the election was, given Trump's dismal record on science, medicine, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Are scientists out of touch? And now what, for federal...
UK Recommendations Wrong on Acupuncture
NICE draft recommendations on acupuncture don't even make sense from an EBM perspective, and utterly fail to consider SBM principles.
A Farewell Note
Au revoir, but not forever!