Open AccessThe feasibility and malleability of EBM+
Author(s) -
Jon Williamson
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
theoria
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.2
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 2171-679X
pISSN - 0495-4548
DOI - 10.1387/theoria.21244
Subject(s) - nihilism , malleability , psychological intervention , evidence based medicine , psychology , order (exchange) , alternative medicine , epistemology , medicine , computer science , psychiatry , philosophy , computer security , encryption , ciphertext , pathology , finance , economics
The EBM+ programme is an attempt to improve the way in which present-day evidence-based medicine (EBM) assesses causal claims: according to EBM+, mechanistic studies should be scrutinised alongside association studies. This paper addresses two worries about EBM+: (i) that it is not feasible in practice, and (ii) that it is too malleable, i.e., its results depend on subjective choices that need to be made in order to implement the procedure. Several responses to these two worries are considered and evaluated. The paper also discusses the question of whether we should have confidence in medical interventions, in the light of Stegenga's arguments for medical nihilism.