Healthy Skepticism Library item: 3812

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Publication type: Journal Article

Edmonds JP, Day RO, Bertouch JV.
The road to consensus: considerations for the safe use and prescribing of COX-2-specific inhibitors.
Med J Aust 2002 Apr 1; 176:(7):332-4
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/176_07_010402/edm10003_fm.html

Abstract:

We describe a process which aimed to achieve consensus on evidence-based considerations for the safe prescribing and use of the COX-2-specific inhibitors available in Australia among a group of 31 clinicians and other health professionals, drawn from practice, academia and industry. Difficulties were encountered at several points: the composition of the working group was contentious; the evidence, drawn from large clinical studies, was criticised by some for problems of study design, data analysis and reporting; interpretation of study results was influenced by the interpreter’s knowledge, skills and biases; and the formulation of the “Considerations” became more controversial as summary statements were contracted and simplified. Agreement on the final draft was achieved among 23 of 31 participants. Evidence-based practice guidelines are a welcome development in modern medicine, but the consensus required to produce them can mask important diversity of opinion.

Keywords:
*letter to the editor/Australia/ Consensus Development Conferences Cyclooxygenase 2 Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors/therapeutic use* Data Interpretation, Statistical Evidence-Based Medicine* Humans Isoenzymes/antagonists & inhibitors* Membrane Proteins Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases