Evidence-based Medicine, Pitfalls and Alternatives
Abstract
The aims and value of evidence-based medicine (EBM) are reviewed. Pitfalls of EBM and an array of alternatives are presented, from non-scientifically proven healing through medicine based on: preventative care, seeding trials, accelerated approval, surrogates, selection of patients, ghost-writing, marketing, disease mongering, regulations, advertisement, self-defence, hospitalizations, value, extraordinary measures and innovations. Post-progress medicine, e.g. extending the lives of very old people at all costs is critically discussed. A real EBM renaissance which is based on evidence, professional expertise and individual patient’s needs (personalized medicine) is a new promising direction for medical care.
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Author, who submits the paper, bears the main responsibility for given data. „Ghostwriting” and „guest authorship” are the symptoms of scientific dishonesty, and all discovered cases will be exposed, including informing suitable entities. Authors are also required to read the terms of the De Gruyter Open Access License for Open Journal Systems.
