The Need for Evidence in an Anecdotal World
Abstract
TIAsptiaTrends AmplifTrends in Amplification1084-71381940-5588SAGE PublicationsSage CA: Los Angeles, CA10.1177/108471381142575110.1177_1084713811425751EditorialThe Need for Evidence in an Anecdotal WorldLimbCharles J.3201115134© SAGE Publications 20112011SAGE Publicationscover-dateMarch/June 2011One of the most difficult aspects of providing health care is the tension that exists between objective evidence, collectively accumulated over generations, and the fact that subjective practitioners deliver care one patient at a time. Although we may strive to understand the continuously developing scientific literature that is the foundation of our understanding of disease, it still remains far from obvious how exactly that literature should be applied to a patient who needs help. In science, the ostensible goal is the generation of data and knowledge that can then be applied as necessary. However, the delivery of health care is not a pure scientific process. There are many cases in which a patient’s satisfaction with his or her treatment will take precedence over the provider’s view of how well the treatment adhered to the best available evidence. And in the end, all of the evidence in the world may provide little comfort to a patient who has a poor outcome. There is a wide range of variables beyond a provider’s control that ultimately may have as huge