Medical Information on the Internet

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Medical Information on the Internet

• U.A. Garred Sexton M. D.

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GOALS

• EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE
• EVALUATION OF INFORMATION
• STRENGTH OF STUDIES
• HOW DO I MAKE IT USEFUL TO ME
• WEB SITES THAT CAN HELP

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Evidence Based Medicine

• Source of evidence
• Always been that way
• Custom
• INFOMERCIALS
• FELLOW WORKER
• INTERNET

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EBM STUDIES

• TYPES
• RANDOM CONTROLLED DOUBLE BLIND
• RANDOM CONTROLLED
• RANDOM
• COHORT
• OBSERVATION
• ANECDOTAL

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EBM WHAT TO LOOK FOR

• SIZE OF STUDY
• CONFIDENCE LEVEL
• WHAT ARE THEY TESTING
• DO CONCLUSION FIT THE TEST

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EBM

• TEST 98 ACCURATE
• TEST 98 SENSITIVE
• OCCURRENCE OF DISEASE IN POPULATION 10
• A POSITIVE SCREENING TEST HAS A 50/50 CHANCE OF
  BEING CORRECT

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EBM

• FROM THE GENERAL TO THE SPECIFIC
• WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT
• DRUG EFFECTS
• PLACEBO
• UNKNOWNS

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Problems with EBM Time to publish Need for
funding Some one has to think results will be
valuable Has to be published
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EBM

• E-MAIL U.A. Garred Sexton M.D.
• uags_at_aol.com