In the current NY Review Dr. Jerome Groopman has some interesting comments about today's medicine and the proposed changes. He believes that the emphasis on money is not good for doctors or patients. Yet, he feels that we need to adopt a different insurance scheme, one closer to that of Europe.
Groopman realizes the importance of scientific analysis but is not in favor of the strong emphasis on evidence-based medicine that seems to be part and parcel of the proposals for new insurance plans. He believes - and offers fairly strong supporting evidence - that 'evidence' does change over time and not everyone fits the model on which the evidence is based. He also feels that the placebo effect is very strong, which, to my mind, supports the thesis that the mind has a heck of a lot of control over the body.
1 comment:
Fascinating. My wife had an arthroscopy on both the left and right knees. The left knee got much better; the right knee got worse.
I love the quote of Groopman's:
"Statistical analysis is not a substitute for thinking."
It should be framed and hung on every wall in every government office in the land.
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