Sunday, August 10, 2014

Why you cannot trust medical journal articles

Most Indian journalists will uncritically accept any article published in a medical journal ( especially if it is published in the West) as being gospel truth. Sadly,  this bias causes them to write articles which end up misleading their readers.

To improve patient care, doctors rely on research and published information.
According to an American Medical News report, professional journals are still the most popular source of up-to-date medical information among doctors.
These medical publications inform physicians on new drugs and treatments, and they contain peer-reviewed studies that both physicians and patients assume are scientifically accurate.
But all too often, research findings aren’t as scientific as they should be. And some are flat-out biased.
Research Studies Confirm Bias In Research
In 2012, the report “Industry sponsorship and research outcome” concluded that studies sponsored by a drug or device company lead to “more favorable results and conclusions” about the products studied than independently sponsored ones.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertpearl/2014/07/24/how-manufacturer-funded-research-compromises-patient-care/

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