What is the Best Available Care?
We are all patients at some time in our lives and we all want the best available care. But how is 'best" determined in the health care world? It must be based on the evidence that comes from clinical trials that are done to compare what is the standard of care and what is new...a new technology; a new treatment.
If what is new is not better than the standard, why do we want it? If what is new is the same as the standard but more costly, why do we need it? And if what is new is in fact better as well as more costly, we need to discuss with our medical providers whether the benefit we can get justifies the additional cost.
This is not so complicated, but read this article published in the New York Times on January 3rd and see where the complications arise. It is up to us, the patient community, to take charge and challenge those who are disregarding the issue of "evidence based medicine."
Posted January 4, 2012.
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