Includes bibliographical references (pages 209-224) and indexes.
Contents:
1. Introduction -- Part I. Concepts -- 2. Effectiveness of medical interventions -- 3. Effectiveness and medicalization -- 4. Magic bullets -- Part II. Methods -- 5. Down with the hierarchies -- 6. Malleability of meta-analysis -- 7. Assessing medical evidence -- 8. Measuring effectiveness -- 9. Hollow hunt for harms -- Part III. Evidence and values -- 10. Bias and fraud -- 11. Medical nihilism -- 12. Conclusion.
Summary:
"Medical nihilism is the view that we should have little confidence in the effectiveness of medical interventions. This book argues that medical nihilism is a compelling view of modern medicine. If we consider the frequency of failed medical interventions, the extent of misleading evidence in medical research, the thin theoretical basis of many interventions, and the malleability of empirical methods in medicine, and if we employ our best inductive framework, then our confidence in the effectiveness of medical interventions ought to be low."-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.