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Author Archives: skeptvet
Approaches to Uncertainty in Medical Decision Making
When I was training to be a veterinarian, an older vet once described the nature of his work this way, “I make decisions for a living.” After more than 8 years in practice, I know exactly what he meant. The … Continue reading
Posted in General
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The Doctor Is In
As a beginning blogger, one of the most exciting, and challenging things about running this site is finding new topics of interest to readers. Some of my favorite posts have come from questions or suggestions from readers. So I just … Continue reading
Posted in General
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Anti-Vaccine Activists and Conservative Christians vs HPV Vaccination
I’ve written before about the link between religion and CAM, both the philosophical link and the political alliance. However, I could not have imagined a clearer and more fascinating example of this than the article recently sent to me by … Continue reading
Posted in Vaccines
8 Comments
Protest Government Protection of Unproven and Ineffective Medicine
The Center for Inquiry, a pro-science and secularism think tank and lobby, which previously issued a white paper about the attempts of Tom Harkin and others to insert protection for non evidence-based CAM in healthcare reform legislation, has continued to … Continue reading
Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics
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Animal Hospice — We Need It, and We Need to Do It Right
Over the last several decades, attitudes towards pets and their role in our households have change dramatically, and in my opinion for the better. Many pet owners see their animal companions as family members rather than objects of utility and … Continue reading
Posted in General
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From SBM — Updated on CAM Protection in Health Care Reform
Science-Based Medicine has posted a look at some of the language that has survived into current Senate and House versions of health care reform legislation. The woo protection elements are alive and well. Here are some examples: “insurance coverage shall … Continue reading
Posted in Law, Regulation, and Politics
4 Comments
Parvovirus Outbreak in Idaho
A news report from The Olympian newspaper reports a localized outbreak of parvoviral enteritis, or “Parvo” in Southwest Idaho. According to the article, “Veterinary clinics and hospitals in Boise, Nampa and Caldwell are all reporting a spike in canines with … Continue reading
Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine, Vaccines
5 Comments
Board Certified Woo — Or Should I Say Meow?
CAM proponents generally struggle against government regulation of their industry, though they will also often cite state licensure, when it is required, as evidence that their approaches are legitimate. However, in the absence of such a government imprimatur of legitimacy, … Continue reading
Posted in Humor
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Doctor Indicted for Selling Bogus “Cure” to Cancer Patients
I’ve discussed previously why it is both understandable that desperately ill people turn to unproven or bogus therapies and why it is immoral to take advantage of this desperation and sell them such therapies. It is comforting, then, to find … Continue reading
Cognitive Dissonance and Evidence-Based Medicine
Cognitive dissonance is the emotional reaction to becoming aware that one holds two contradictory ideas or feelings simultaneously. It is a term from a rich area of cognitive psychology looking at how people derive and maintain beliefs. One of the … Continue reading
Posted in General
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