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Viva La Evidence

Hi All,

It’s been a while.

The hospital is abuzz with electrophysiology problems. I’ve been unleashing some serious medical fury in the past weeks. It has been fun, though it gets in the way of writing and training.

James McCormack (@medmyths) is a “Pharmacist, Professor, Medication Mythbuster, and Healthy Skeptic at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC.”

I have recently subscribed to his You Tube Channel.

Here is his latest four-minute gem on using clinical evidence as a therapeutic tool. I don’t think clinical evidence is just for doctors. Now that the playing field of medical information is flat, patients, too, should be aware of clinical evidence measures–things like NNT and NNH. The next time your doctor says take this pill, it might be worth asking about the evidence. How many patients have to be treated to be helped or harmed. Has there been a recent systematic review? Your doctor should know these things.

Enjoy.

JMM

3 replies on “Viva La Evidence”

Thanks so much Dr. John for spreading the word about Dr. McC’s amazing work. Have you seen his Bohemian Polypharmacy video? (featuring the really stunning vocals of local Victoria band Aivia): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp3pFjKoZl8

His Best Science podcasts with Mike Allan MD (“BS without the BS”) are both hilarious and educational (and really, how many medical podcasts can you describe like that?)

For those wondering about statins, his Absolute CVD Risk/Benefit Calculator (Therapeutics Education Collaboration/UBC) – has been called “the best risk calculator I’ve found” by docs like Dr. Mark McConnell, who particularly recommends it for people without existing heart disease who (since last winter’s controversial new AHA/ACC guidelines) are suddenly considered good candidates for lifetime statin therapy providing they have a detectable pulse.

Good luck with all that serious medical fury…
regards,
C.

Hi John (and also Carolyn): Thanks so much for letting people know about my videos. Much appreciated. I think we both have the same beliefs – get the evidence (in a balanced way) into the hands of the people who are making the important decisions – health care providers and their patients. John, we should catch up sometime and exchange “war” stories and ideas for how to get the messages out there. Feel free to email me.

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