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Medical misinformation

Lies, damned lies, and medical science
by David H. Freedman, The Atlantic, November 2010

This is a long essay on the work of Dr. John IoannidisTo be continued... Chance News 28

in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) Medicine journal, in August 2005. Why most published research findings are false. The Atlantic article notes that this is the most downloaded in the history of PLoS Medicine. The article concludes with this quote from Ioannidis:

Science is a noble endeavor, but it’s also a low-yield endeavor. I’m not sure that more than a very small percentage of medical research is ever likely to lead to major improvements in clinical outcomes and quality of life. We should be very comfortable with that fact.

Submitted by Bill Peterson