Theory-based medicine and the role of evidence: Why the emperor needs new clothes, again

Perspectives in Biology and Medicine

Volumn 52, Issue 2, 2009, Pages 234-251

  Giacomini, Mita ^a  

^a MCMASTER UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

AUTHORITY; EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE; EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE; PATIENT CARE; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RELIGION; REVIEW; THEORETICAL STUDY; ARTICLE; EPIDEMIOLOGY; HUMAN; RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL;

CAUSALITY; EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE; HUMANS; RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS AS TOPIC; RELIGION;

EID: 67650658064     PISSN: 00315982     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Review

References (47)

1. Ashcroft,R.E. 2004.Current epistemological problems in evidence based medicine. J Med Ethics 30(2):131-135 (Pubitemid 38559858)
2. Astin, J.A. 2000.The efficacy of "distant healing":A systematic review of randomized trials. Ann Intern Med 132:903-910 (Pubitemid 30346854)
3. Aviles, J. M., et al. 2001. Intercessory prayer and cardiovascular disease progression in a coronary care unit population:A randomized controlled trial. Mayo Clin Proc 76(12): 1192-1198
4. Benson, H., et al. 2006. Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP) in cardiac bypass patients:A multicenter randomized trial of uncertainty and certainty of receiving intercessory prayer. Am Heart J 151:934-942
5. Bishop, J. P., and V. J. Stenger. 2004. Retroactive prayer: Lots of history, not much mystery, and no science. BMJ 329:1444-1446
6. Bluhm, R. 2005. From hierarchy to network: A richer view of evidence for evidencebased medicine. Perspect Biol Med 48(4):535-547 (Pubitemid 41464108)
7. Byrd, R. C. 1988. Positive therapeutic effects of intercessory prayer in a coronary care unit population. South Med J 81(7):826-829
8. Carey, B. 2004. Can prayers heal? Critics say studies go past science's reach. NY Times, Oct. 10.
9. Carey, B. 2006. Long-awaited medical study questions the power of prayer. NY Times, March 31.
10. Cha,K.Y.,D. P.Wirth, and R.A. Lobo. 2001.Does prayer influence the success of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer? J Reprod Med 46(9):781-787
11. Collipp, P. J. 1969.The efficacy of prayer:A triple-blind study. Med Times 97(5):201-204
12. Devereaux, P. J., and S.Yusuf. 2003.The evolution of the randomized controlled trial and its role in evidence-based decision making. J Intern Med 254:105-113
13. Flamm, B. L. 2005. Prayer and the success of IVF. Letter. J Reprod Med 50(1):71.
14. Galton, F. 1883. Possibilities of theocratic intervention (addendum). In Inquiry into human faculty and its development, ed. G.Tredoux. Online Galton Archives. http://galton.org.
15. Giacomini, M. 2004. Interdisciplinarity in health services research: Dreams and nightmares, maladies and remedies. J Health Serv Res Policy 9(3):117-183 (Pubitemid 38954939)
16. Guyatt, G., et al. 2000. User's guides to the medical literature. XXV. Evidence-based medicine: Principles for applying the user's guides to patient care. JAMA 284:1290-1296 (Pubitemid 30691371)
17. Halperin, E. C. 2001. Should academic medical centers conduct clinical trials of the efficacy of intercessory prayer? Acad Med 76:791-797
18. Harris, P. 2004.Exposed:Conman's role in prayer-power IVF "miracle."Observer,May 30. http://guardian.co.uk.
19. Harris,W. S., et al. 1999. A randomized, controlled trial of the effects of remote, intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients admitted to the coronary care unit.Arch Intern Med 159:2273-2278
20. Harvie, D. I. 2002. Limeys:The true story of one man's war against ignorance, the establishment, and the deadly scurvy. Phoenix Mill, UK: Sutton.
21. Haynes,R. B. 2002.What kind of evidence is it that Evidence-Based Medicine advocates want health care providers and consumers to pay attention to? BMC Health Serv Res 2(3). http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/2/3.
22. Joyce, C. R. B., and R.M. CWelldon. 1965.The objective efficacy of prayer: A doubleblind clinical trial. J Chron Dis 18:367-377
23. Krucoff,M.W., et al. 2001. Integrative noetic therapies as adjuncts to percutaneous intervention during unstable coronary syndromes:Monitoring andActualization of Noetic Traning (MANTRA) feasibility pilot. Am Heart J 142:760-767
24. Krucoff,M.W., et al. 2005.Music, imagery, touch, and prayer as adjuncts to interventional cardiac care:The Monitoring and Actualization of Noetic Trainings (MANTRA) II randomized study. Lancet 366:211-217
25. Leder, D. 2005. "Spooky actions at a distance": Physics, psi, and distant healing. J Altern Complement Med 11(5):923-930 (Pubitemid 41739365)
26. Leibovici, L. 2001. Effects of remote, retroactive intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients with bloodstream infection:Randomised controlled trial. BMJ 323(22):1450-1451 (Pubitemid 34025211)
27. Leibovici, L. 2002.Author's reply. BMJ 324:1037.
28. Lucas, P., et al. 2008. Financial benefits for child health and well-being in low income or socially disadvantaged families in developed world countries. Review. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 4(2):CD006358. (Pubitemid 351807304)
29. MacBride,W.M. 1991. Normal medical science and British treatment of the sea scurvy, 1753-75. J Hist Med Allied Sci 46(2):158-177
30. Masters, K. S. 2005. Research on the healing power of distant intercessory prayer: Disconnect between science and faith. J Psychol Theol 33(4):268-277
31. Masters, K. S., and G. I. Spielmans. 2007. Prayer and health: Review, meta-analysis, and research agenda. J Behav Med 30:329-338
32. Mathai, J., and A. Bourne. 2004. Pilot study investigating the effect of intercessory prayer in the treatment of child psychiatric disorders. Australas Psychiatry 12(4):386-389 (Pubitemid 40103729)
33. Matthews,W. J., J.M.Conti, and S.G. Sireci. 2001.The effects of intercessory prayer, positive visualization, and expectancy on the well-being of kidney dialysis patients.Altern Ther Health Med 7(5):42-52.
34. Medical Research Council. 2000.A framework for development and evaluation of RCTs for complex interventions to improve health. London: Medical Research Council. http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Utilities/Documentrecord/index.htm?d=MRC003372.
35. Norman, G. R. 1999. Examining the assumptions of evidence-based medicine. J Eval Clin Pract 5(2):139-147
36. Norman, G., and K. Eva. 2008. Quantitative research in medical education. Edinburgh:Assn. for the Study of Medical Education.
37. O'Laoire, S. 1997.An experimental study of the effects of distant, intercessory prayer on self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Altern Ther 3(6):38-53. (Pubitemid 127527774)
38. Oliver, S., et al. 2008. RCTs for policy interventions? A review of reviews and meta-regression. York: Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, Univ. ofYork.
39. Palmer,R. F.,D. Katerndahl, and J.Morgan-Kidd. 2004.A randomized trial of the effects of remote intercessory prayer: Interactions with personal beliefs on problem-specific outcomes and functional status. J Altern Complement Med 10(3):438-448
40. Pellegrino, E.D. 1999.The ethical use of evidence in biomedicine. Eval Health Prof 22(1):33-43.
41. Roberts, L., I.Ahmed, and S.Hall. 2007. Intercessory prayer for the alleviation of ill health. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 1. CD000368. DOI: 10.1002/14651858. CD000368.pub2. (Pubitemid 351820474)
42. Seskevitch, J. E., et al. 2004. Beneficial effects of noetic therapies on mood before percutaneous intervention for unstable coronary syndromes. Nurs Res 53(2):116-121
43. Sicher, F., et al. 1998.A randomized double-blind study of the effect of distant healing in a population with advanced AIDS.West J Med 169:356-363
44. Sulmasy, D. P. 2006. Scientific studies of the healing power of prayer. In The rebirth of the clinic: An introduction to spirituality in health care.Washington, DC: Georgetown Univ. Press.
45. Tloczynski, J., and S. Fritzsch. 2002. Intercessory prayer in psychological well-being: Using a multiple-baseline, across-subjects design. Psychol Rep 91:731-741 (Pubitemid 44698618)
46. Turner, D. D. 2006. Just another drug? A philosophical assessment of randomised controlled studies on intercessory prayer. J Med Ethics 32:487-490
47. Walker, S. R., et al. 1997. Intercessory prayer in the treatment of alcohol abuse and dependence:A pilot investigation. Altern Ther Health Med 3(6):79-86.