Published in:
01-10-2020 | Perspective
Pitfalls from Psychology Science that Worsen with Practice
Authors:
Donald A. Redelmeier, MD, FRCPC, MS (HSR), FACP, Lee D. Ross, PhD
Published in:
Journal of General Internal Medicine
|
Issue 10/2020
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Excerpt
Advances in science have made medical treatment increasingly successful. For example, the development of monoclonal antibody medications against Ebola infections is a meaningful advance for treating patients with a fatal disease.
1 The literature is also littered with reversals characterized by early successes leading to hype and followed later by disappointment; for example, carotene for protecting against cancer, tight blood sugar control for preventing postoperative infections, and coronary stents for treating stable angina.
2‐4 In contrast to dynamic science literature, clinical practice changes slowly because early success is hypnotic and clinicians do not automatically absorb the potential gains in wisdom that years of experience can offer. …