The classic Psychologist laboratory animal study involves genetically identical rats living in cages divided into two groups – one control group and one with some experimental intervention. Blinded observations of some pre-defined outcome parameter are recorded and the groups compared statistically at the end of the study. By making everything about the groups exactly the […]
They just don’t seem to know when to stop – when they’ve stepped over the line. However, this particular campaign reveals PHARMA’s principle strategy in misrepresenting their wares: Manufacturers tell FDA why they should be able to promote drugs and devices off label by Jeanne Lenzer British Medical Journal. 2016 355:i6098 Manufacturers have told the […]
Good Risk Management Requires Good Documentation PSYCHIATRICNEWS by Anne Huben-Kearney, R.N., B.S.N., M.P.A. October 31, 2016 The importance of good documentation cannot be overstated. Documentation can provide evidence of care provided or not provided; serve to promote patient safety and minimize error; ensure regulatory, accreditation, and reimbursement compliance; provide an effective defense in a medical […]
We live in an age of Meta-Analyses and Systematic Reviews [studies of studies]. Some, like watchdog John Ioannidis, lament their frequency as redundant and/or unnecessary [The Mass Production of Redundant, Misleading, and Conflicted Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses]. But at least in the domain of neuroscience, I see these meta-analyses as an attempt at oversight in […]
At least for the moment, the polls seem to be leveling out a bit … … and I found myself able to think [briefly] about other things. And the other thing on the front burner was a decision I made last week After eight years volunteering at a rural charity clinic, I’ve decided to wind things down […]
Likelihood of Null Effects of Large NHLBI Clinical Trials Has Increased over Time. by Kaplan RM and Irvin VL. PLoS One. 2015 10[8]:e0132382. [full text on-line] BACKGROUND: We explore whether the number of null results in large National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute [NHLBI] funded trials has increased over time. METHODS: We identified all large […]
I’m not much of a sports fan, but last night was fun and a major relief from Election Fatigue Syndrome – so I pass on a few more in case the next five days are getting to you like they tend to get to me… Thursday 8:30 PM November 3, 2016 Atlanta Falcons 43 Tampa […]
These days, apparently in polite company we call lying ‘bias rampant",.. Bias rampant in major depression treatment literature European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Conference Coverage by Bruce Jancin October 28, 2016 VIENNA – Janneke A. Bastiaansen, PhD, has some advice for clinicians and researchers as they peruse the published literature on clinical trials of medication or […]
It’s kind of hard to maintain my focus on the details of the clinical drug trials in a week when that graph is sitting there uncompleted – wondering where it’s going to end up. So…