Healthy Skepticism Library item: 7075

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

McGuire W.
Parachute approach to evidence based medicine: arguments are easily refuted.
BMJ 2006 Oct 14; 333:(7572):807
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/333/7572/807-a

Abstract:

EDITOR-Potts et al’s various anecdotes purport to show the futility and danger of attempting to minimise bias in evaluating health care interventions.1 Fortunately, with widespread access to good quality summaries of evidence, their arguments can be refuted easily. For example, a quick check in Clinical Evidence reassures us that misoprostol is no more effective than placebo and has significant adverse effects.2 With regard to male circumcision, the authors suggest that it was wrong to undertake trials to assess effectiveness. Yet they also acknowledge that circumcision can have complications. Were we to ignore the possibility that the intervention may cause harm in the rush to implementation? The authors also suggest that compliance is not an issue, which is not clear from the papers they cite.3 Do they propose to make male circumcision compulsory?

William McGuire, associate professor

Keywords:
Bias (Epidemiology) Evidence-Based Medicine*