Medical biases

[Guest guest]

Joy Wharton asks:

" We all have our biases and presuppositions. What are yours? "

I was writing notes to give a talk on medical bias and I quickly filled four

pages of a legal pad without slowing. It dawned on me that there was

virtually no area of medicine other than trauma medicine that is without

bias. We compound biases at every level in the reigning medical paradigm

and what remains is very distorted thinking.

Keep in mind that because an idea is biased does not mean it is wrong, it

only means that there is inadequate scientific foundation. Our job as

adults is to identify bias and then decide if we want to go with the bias or

chuck it.

Sure I have personal biases. I don't like needles. They hurt and they

violate one of the body's natural barriers. Implicitly the use of the

needle is making a statement: " I'm not smart enough to figure out a way to

avoid using a needle. " Of course there are other possible implicit needle

statements: " I enjoy the pain, " " I get off on the violation, " and " I am

impatient. " When someone does my program they know that I won't be coming

at them with a needle.

When it comes to synthesizing meds I have plenty of biases. I am not about

to make something with more than one chiral center; I avoid meds with

molecular weights more than 400 or so; I don't like working with compounds

that are explosive, expensive, toxic; I don't like reactions with low yields

and difficult work-ups. When I was young I was mildly insane and didn't

hesitate to do any of the above. Anything that is difficult I always do it

myself as I just don't trust others to do things correctly. This is a bias

that is certainly unfair to many competent people.

I have a bias against any medical concept that is vague or can't be

scientifically tested. I have a bias against any medicine or treatment in

which I think profiteering is taking place. I don't use any supplement that

has " proprietary blend " on the label.

I am biased in favor of teaching and making a joint effort at decision

making. I have a bias against allowing those situations where I am told, " I

don't want to learn all this stuff - just tell me what to do. " I have a

bias against working with children - it is just too painful.

I have a bias in favor of a minimalist approach to healing, that is, I want

to zero in on a very few things that are likely to work - this really helps

save a person's money. I think I'm pretty good at helping people remove

fear and panic from their thought processes. I just might put that on my

card: " Fear and Panic Extirpation. " I've never had much success with

chronic worriers though. I am open to suggestions.