Evidence-Based Medicine Matters

Dr Michael Fitzpatrick

GP and author of Defeating Autism: A Damaging Delusion

Promoters of ‘unorthodox biomedical’ treatments in autism – including diets and supplements, detox regimes and drugs – often claim that their therapies are effective and safe. When asked to justify these claims they cite clinical experience and testimonials from satisfied customers. But the medical profession has learnt from systematic studies that many medications that doctors had been using for years were neither effective nor safe. Any number of experiences and anecdotes does not add up to scientific data.

Unorthodox practitioners insist that they do ‘what works’ rather than waiting for trials. But without trials how do we know what works – and what might cause harm? This crass empiricism takes us back to the dark ages of medical practice when therapeutics was guided by personal impressions and intuition – and patients suffered the consequences.