Research Smeesearch: Identifying Problems in Evidence-Based Medicine

Whether you’re new to MoveU or a long time follower you may have noticed that we’re a little different. We like to have fun, that’s obvious. But, we are also very serious about shaking up healthcare, specifically pain. We poke fun, we challenge and are brutally honest when it comes to the shortcomings of our current system. We’re bringing to light that research shouldn’t guide your daily life. However, research is critical to advancing science and medicine. Basically, take scientific studies with a grain of salt when it comes to your day-to-day.

 

 

 

 

 

We understand that this may be longer than you have time for but we had to be thorough. We wanted to ensure that we cover each of the issues surrounding research and evidence-based medicine.

Don’t let the name of this blog fool you, evidence-based research ABSOLUTELY has its place. Think of all the significant medical advancements we’ve made that have started with pure science: anesthesia, vaccines, and antibiotics to name a few. However, we feel the need to raise awareness about the issues surrounding research and evidence-based medicine.

That’s why we’re bringing you something new!

Welcome to MoveU’s Research Smeesearch.

The goal of this ongoing series is to draw attention to the issues we are confronted with continuously from our audience, peers, and critics regarding research and evidence-based of medicine. 

Show Me The Studies

“I read all the research.” “Please provide your evidence.” “Your claim is unsubstantiated.”

We get these all the time. But have you ever questioned where the studies come from? You know the saying there’s an app for that? Well, now there seems to be a study for that.

Headlines Vs. Actual Studies

News: ‘How that Cup of Coffee is Saving Your Life’  Radio: Tune in Next Week to learn  ‘How Your Cup of Coffee is Killing You.’

These headlines are all from ONE media source.

News agencies run on views, clicks, and advertising dollars. The results are cherry picking, omission, and sensationalization to garner revenue.

The result? Individual research findings begin to carry a lot more influence than they should.

Science Can’t Actually Prove Anything…

What do we mean by that? *Take a breath we’re going deep*

Basically, everything that science “proves” isn’t actually proven…

Science is Never Done

Doctors continue to ‘practice medicine’ because it is always evolving. What was the best practice yesterday can be harmful tomorrow.

And we can’t prove or disprove anything if we don’t even know there’s an issue or question to ask in the first place. For instance, the act of hand-washing in hospitals is only about 170 years old. It was discovered not by a study, but by one man.

The Media’s Effect

Now that we know a little more about the limitations of science in general, let’s address the problems currently plaguing evidence-based research in medicine. It is important to note that research is not created equal and that’s partly egged on by the media.

Whether it’s the New York Times or your high school friend on Facebook, news and social media far too often blur the lines of what has been proven as fact and what is speculative, or merely preliminary research.

Read enough studies and you’ll start to notice the trend that most of them end with something like “More research will be needed,” however, you’ll rarely see that reflected in a headline and never in your friends’ social media post.

Publication or Sponsorship Bias

Also known as the ‘File Drawer Effect,’ this involves studies showing a negative or null effect never being published. This is potentially the biggest problem plaguing research because it’s at the core of the process. Positive findings are 3x more likely to be published than null or negative results. 

Data Collection & Observational studies

The next issue is a bit more complicated.

Funding Bias or Sponsorship Bias

Follow the Money

Yes, there is even more that can be wrong with our coffee study, like who paid for it? Was it the National Institute of Health (NIH) or Starbucks?

This matters because who knows how many null or negative studies they paid for before they got a positive result to publish.

This problem is especially rampant in the pharmaceutical, medical devices, supplements, and food and beverage industries. Here, a positive finding for a drug, piece of medical equipment or a product can mean millions and sometimes even billions of dollars.

Evidence-Based Medicine model

In their paper ‘The Evidence for and Against Evidence-Based Practice,” the authors opening comment provides an excellent summary of the issue at hand:

“Evidence-Based Practice has been both heralded as one of the major advances in health care, promising to revolutionize both policymaking and practice. While simultaneously ridiculed as a development that will reduce professionals to mindlessly (and soullessly) following recipe books for the betterment of insurance companies.”

The Problem with Evidence-Based Medicine

That’s the problem in a nutshell; the healthcare industry is set up to help the masses, not the individual. More detrimentally, it is set up to serve the hospital, drug manufacturers, and insurance providers, not the patient. Is it any wonder we are sicker than ever?

MoveU is by no means discounting the importance of science and evidence-based practices. However, we feel the need to challenge the status quo, and that is to say that there are problems with how some of it is conducted, presented, and implemented.

As Michaelangelo is credited with saying “criticize by creating,” we could have stayed in our lanes and complained about the current state of things while doing nothing.

But that’s not our style.

The MoveU program was born from hands-on-experience working countless hours one-on-one with individuals dealing with pain. Through this, we were able to develop an online resource that teaches people daily practices to reduce their chronic pain. Some of our program is based on what you would find being prescribed in any physical therapy office but there is a lot that you won’t find.

And that’s what makes MoveU different.

Nowhere else will you find a community of support from members who have been in your shoes, who can share personal experiences of what did or didn’t work for them. You won’t find a place in healthcare where you receive constant feedback from coaches on your movements while ensuring your mental and emotional health are in line with your physical.

It’s the perfect merger of evidence and anecdote.

We would not be where we are today without the education and resources that science provided us. However, when we look around at the current state of chronic pain in our country, an opioid epidemic, and potentially insolvent healthcare industry, it is clear to see there is massive room for improvements.

We Demand Better Options and so Should You!

Sincerely, We thank YOU for reading. We also must thank our incredible family of MUvers, who continues to shock us with their transformations and heartfelt messages, they are the only ‘evidence’ we need to keep Fixing All The Shit!

If you want to learn more about how MoveU is challenging healthcare with a new approach, click here.