{"id":1215,"date":"2009-11-08T05:56:38","date_gmt":"2009-11-08T05:56:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/?p=1215"},"modified":"2009-11-08T05:56:38","modified_gmt":"2009-11-08T05:56:38","slug":"mainstreaming-science-based-medicine-a-novel-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/medicine\/mainstreaming-science-based-medicine-a-novel-approach.php","title":{"rendered":"Mainstreaming Science-Based Medicine: A Novel Approach"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have often mused about the difference between being right and being influential<\/a> – especially in light of the relative success of the anti-vaccine movement. Despite the fact that there is no evidence for a link<\/a> between vaccines and autism, celebrities like Jenny McCarthy have manufactured public mistrust in one of the safest, most cost effective means of combating disease known to humankind.<\/p>

So if scientists are not persuading the public with appeals to carefully designed trials and factual data, how should they make their point? I’m not sure I have the full answer, but I think I might have struck a nerve with the public lately. I decided to try a novel approach to communicating my concerns about pseudoscience on the Internet – and presented 20 slides at 20 second intervals to a conference of ePatients in Philadelphia. I did it with powerful and humorous images, tied together with a long Limerick. Sound kooky? Maybe so… but it resonated, and was received with cheers and applause. Now that’s how we like science to be recognized!<\/p>

It’s hard to recreate the experience – with voice, images, and rhyme – on the blog. But please check out the slide deck here<\/a>, and I’ve reproduced the Limerick in its entirety below. It’s called, “A Tale Of Two ePatients” – and the slides advanced at each “***”. I hope my fellow scientists will join me in continuing to find novel approaches to win hearts and minds. Public health really is at stake.<\/p>

Megan’s Story<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

A woman woke up from her sleep<\/p>

With a pain that felt terribly deep<\/p>

It didn’t seem right<\/p>

She worried all night<\/p>

But resorted to counting her sheep<\/p>

In the morning she saw a physician<\/p>

To check on her tummy condition<\/p>

But alas what he found<\/p>

By poking around-<\/p>

A cancer and some malnutrition<\/p>

***<\/p>

So she asked what her chances could be<\/p>

Of finding a way to be free<\/p>

Of the mutating cells<\/p>

They should bid their farewells<\/p>

She hoped to hear something happy<\/p>

The doctor’s face turned very dour<\/p>

I’m sorry but I’m almost sure<\/p>

There isn’t a chance<\/p>

You’re far too advanced<\/p>

The prognosis is terribly poor<\/p>

***<\/p>

She asked if there might be some way<\/p>

To research new treatments today<\/p>

But the doctor moved on<\/p>

To see patients anon<\/p>

No time to say more now, ok?<\/p>

Afraid to ask questions again<\/p>

She decided to put down her pen<\/p>

With her anger and hurt<\/p>

And his choice to be curt<\/p>

She became an ePatient right then<\/p>

***<\/p>

Meg soon found a doctor online<\/p>

The top of his field – so kind<\/p>

And his new research<\/p>

From his USC perch<\/p>

Showed promise for tumor decline<\/p>

His knowledge promised to advanced her<\/p>

For all things he had a good answer<\/p>

He provided the data<\/p>

And other schemata<\/p>

And planned for a cure of her cancer<\/p>

***<\/p>

But just to be sure he was right<\/p>

She checked out the NIH site<\/p>

And with careful review<\/p>

She knew what to do<\/p>

She refused to give up on her fight<\/p>

The treatment was not very easy<\/p>

She often felt shaky and queasy<\/p>

Yet she stayed the course<\/p>

Pushing through it with force<\/p>

Walking whether ‘twas sunny or breezy<\/p>

***<\/p>

A friend called to check on the rumor<\/p>

That Meg picked a fight with a tumor<\/p>

The friend offered advice<\/p>

About herbals and spice<\/p>

Which he presented in really good humor<\/p>

Oh my friend this sounds really appealing<\/p>

And I know all you want is my healing<\/p>

But how do you know<\/p>

To believe in this so<\/p>

When all you rely on is feeling?<\/p>

***<\/p>

Dear Megan, he said with a wave<\/p>

I know that you’re awfully brave<\/p>

You don’t have to endure<\/p>

The toxins I’m sure<\/p>

These herbals are able to save<\/p>

Well let’s look at their track record then<\/p>

If they really do work I’ll give in<\/p>

So they researched Medline<\/p>

And Mayo Clinic online<\/p>

Finding no evidence of a win<\/p>

***<\/p>

But there are people who say this will work<\/p>

Herbs saved these three guys and a clerk<\/p>

They put their minds to it<\/p>

Were sure they could do it<\/p>

And avoided chemo with a smirk<\/p>

But my friend in this life you must see<\/p>

We use science to think critically<\/p>

If there is an effect<\/p>

We’re sure to detect<\/p>

A dose-response repeatedly<\/p>

***<\/p>

Meg carefully weighed all her choices<\/p>

Giving weight to the most reasoned voices<\/p>

She found the best science<\/p>

And increased self-reliance -<\/p>

Worth more than a million Rolls Royces<\/p>

Her first doctor rallied to meet her<\/p>

Admitting she’d saved her own keister<\/p>

So she offered a toast<\/p>

To the folks she loved most<\/p>

And the victory couldn’t be sweeter<\/p>

Julie’s Story<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

A woman had been in the shower<\/p>

For something quite close to an hour<\/p>

When she noticed a lump<\/p>

The tiniest bump<\/p>

Just below her tattoo of a flower<\/p>

I guess I must have a bug bite<\/p>

Though this bump doesn’t fe-el quite right<\/p>

She wondered aloud<\/p>

With her head in a cloud<\/p>

Assuming that it was alright<\/p>

***<\/p>

Months later she noticed some pain<\/p>

On the spot where she had a food stain<\/p>

So she scratched off the spot<\/p>

Took her walk to a trot<\/p>

And proceeded to shut off her brain<\/p>

Later on she woke up with a start<\/p>

This lump’s really starting to smart<\/p>

So she went to the net<\/p>

Now breaking a sweat<\/p>

Worried something was wrong with her heart<\/p>

***<\/p>

She netsurfed around for some time<\/p>

Chatting live with the people online<\/p>

They thought she might like<\/p>

A short hunger strike<\/p>

Or to calm down her chest pain with wine<\/p>

But my skin is getting so red<\/p>

Am I making this up in my head?<\/p>

Why not watch for a while<\/p>

Or jog for a mile<\/p>

There’s nothing much more to be said<\/p>

***<\/p>

Julie liked her new friends on the web<\/p>

Though with patience beginning to ebb<\/p>

She asked yet again<\/p>

To Kim, Kyle and Ken<\/p>

If they had some ideas instead<\/p>

An herbalist friend that I know<\/p>

Diagnoses her friends on the go<\/p>

Please call her right now<\/p>

And she’ll show you how<\/p>

To cure pain with good energy flow<\/p>

***<\/p>

So she called the healer in a pinch<\/p>

And was told it was really a synch<\/p>

She should lie on the floor<\/p>

To strengthen her core<\/p>

And breath without moving an inch<\/p>

But my skin is beginning to crack<\/p>

-Well of course it’s because you might lack<\/p>

Vitamins for your dermis<\/p>

Put them all in a thermos<\/p>

Drink ‘em down and put on an ice pack<\/p>

***<\/p>

Do you think I should see an MD?<\/p>

Julie asked of her community<\/p>

Heck no, don’t go there<\/p>

You won’t have a prayer<\/p>

You’ll be poisoned immediately!<\/p>

Don’t you think that there might be just one<\/p>

Who could help out my skin rash a ton?<\/p>

It itches and hurts<\/p>

I can’t wear my shirts<\/p>

I can tell you this isn’t much fun<\/p>

***<\/p>

Julie left her friends on the computer<\/p>

To find a physician to suit her<\/p>

During the exam<\/p>

The doc shouted “Ma’am!”<\/p>

I’ll need to call our trouble shooter<\/p>

The oncologist looked on aghast<\/p>

At the breast cancer’s fungating mass<\/p>

Why did you wait?<\/p>

You’ve sealed your fate<\/p>

There’s no way to alter the past<\/p>

***<\/p>

You can’t fix this tumor for me?<\/p>

Well now I see very clearly<\/p>

My friends told me docs<\/p>

Are as useless as rocks<\/p>

You don’t do much good, I agree<\/p>

But miss Julie, you’re breaking my heart<\/p>

The oncologist, flipping his chart<\/p>

We do have a cure<\/p>

You’d have it for sure<\/p>

If you came in with a lump at the start<\/p>

***<\/p>

We can treat you for pain and unease<\/p>

We’ll give comfort however you please<\/p>

The lesson of course:<\/p>

Consider the source<\/p>

As an ePatient with a disease<\/p>

Oh doctor, we need to tell others<\/p>

Not to mix up our health with our druthers<\/p>

May my death find some meaning<\/p>

My soul intervening<\/p>

For breast cancer in daughters and mothers<\/p>


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I have often mused about the difference between being right and being influential – especially in light of the relative success of the anti-vaccine movement. Despite the fact that there is no evidence for a link between vaccines and autism, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"","last_modified_date":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-medicine"],"modified_by":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1215"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1215"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1215\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}