TY - JOUR
T1 - Evidence based medicine and justice
T2 - A framework for looking at the impact of EBM upon vulnerable or disadvantage groups
AU - Rogers, Wendy A.
N1 - Copyright retained by the author(s). Article originally published in Journal of Medical Ethics, Vol. 30, Issue 2, pp.141-145. The original article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jme.2003.007062. Article archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author and according to publisher conditions. For further information see http://www.bmj.com/
PY - 2004/4
Y1 - 2004/4
N2 - This article examines the implicit promises of fairness in evidence based medicine (EBM), namely to avoid discrimination through objective processes, and to distribute effective treatments fairly. The relationship between EBM and vulnerable groups (such as those disadvantaged by virtue of poverty, ethnicity, age, gender, mental health problems or similar) is examined. Several aspects of EBM are explored: the way evidence is created (commissioning and design of, and participation in research), and the way evidence is applied in clinical care and health policy. This analysis suggests that EBM turns our attention away from social and cultural factors that influence health and focuses on a narrow biomedical and individualistic model of health. Those with the greatest burden of ill health are left disenfranchised, as there is little research that is relevant to them, there is poor access to treatments, and attention is diverted away from activities that might have a much greater impact on their health.
AB - This article examines the implicit promises of fairness in evidence based medicine (EBM), namely to avoid discrimination through objective processes, and to distribute effective treatments fairly. The relationship between EBM and vulnerable groups (such as those disadvantaged by virtue of poverty, ethnicity, age, gender, mental health problems or similar) is examined. Several aspects of EBM are explored: the way evidence is created (commissioning and design of, and participation in research), and the way evidence is applied in clinical care and health policy. This analysis suggests that EBM turns our attention away from social and cultural factors that influence health and focuses on a narrow biomedical and individualistic model of health. Those with the greatest burden of ill health are left disenfranchised, as there is little research that is relevant to them, there is poor access to treatments, and attention is diverted away from activities that might have a much greater impact on their health.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=2342425169&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/jme.2003.007062
DO - 10.1136/jme.2003.007062
M3 - Article
C2 - 15082806
AN - SCOPUS:2342425169
SN - 0306-6800
VL - 30
SP - 141
EP - 145
JO - Journal of Medical Ethics
JF - Journal of Medical Ethics
IS - 2
ER -