Science-Based Medicine

Short description: Website covering issues in science and medicine, focusing on quackery

This page is about the website. For the concept, see Evidence-based medicine.

Science-Based Medicine

Type of site

| Blog
Available in| English
Owner| New England Skeptical Society
Key people| Steven Novella, David Gorski
Website| www.sciencebasedmedicine.org
Commercial| No
Launched| January 1, 2008[1]

Science-Based Medicine is a website and blog with articles covering issues in science and medicine, especially medical scams and practices.[2] Founded in 2008, it is owned and operated by the New England Skeptical Society,[3] and run by Steven Novella and David Gorski.[4]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Content and format
* 3 Retractions
* 4 Legal
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links

## History

Started as a skeptical medical blog with five writers, Science-Based Medicine (SBM) launched on January 1, 2008.[5] Steven Novella,[2][6] Harriet Hall,[7][8] and David Gorski were founding editors, along with Mark Crislip[9] and Kimball Atwood.[10][11]

Science-Based Medicine is owned and operated by the New England Skeptical Society (NESS),[3] where Novella, a clinical neurologist at Yale University[2] and the executive editor of SBM, has served as president since its inception. Gorski, a surgical oncologist at Wayne State University, is the managing editor for SBM.[12][13][14]

The blog was affiliated with the former Society for Science-Based Medicine (SfSBM),[15] an opinionated education and advocacy group,[16] that registered in 2014[17] as a Florida nonprofit corporation[16][18] led by Mark Crislip.[19] The SfSBM was dissolved in 2020, with the Center for Inquiry receiving its funds as a donation and considered by the SfSBM's board to continue its work,[3] following a period of time where SfSBM had merged with SBM.[20]

Other key contributors have included writer Paul Ingraham (2010–2016) and Wallace Sampson, an editor and regular contributor to SBM until his death in 2017.[21]

## Content and format

Science-Based Medicine is a website in blog format that examines controversies in science and medicine,[22] especially medical scams and practices.[2] SBM is known for persistently challenging alternative medicine[23][24][9] and for opposing university funding from advocates of integrative medicine.[25] David Freedman, writing for The Atlantic in 2011, described SBM as "an influential blog that has tirelessly gone after alternative medicine."[23]

Editorial staff say that the best medicine is based on scientific principles, includes prior plausibility, and is not based on evidence alone.[21] Gorski, Novella, and Atwood have argued that science-based medicine differs in focus from evidence-based medicine[26][11] and stress that randomized clinical trials should only be conducted when warranted by ample preclinical evidence to justify the effort, time, and expenses involved.[26] For a science-based approach, Novella supports minimizing or eliminating research on implausible treatments, and points out that decades are often required for clinical research to become supported by rigorous, conclusive trials, during which time decisions must be made, preferably guided by and screened by plausibility criteria.[19]

In a systematic survey of web sites providing material on complementary and alternative medicine from 2018, medical education researcher Annie Chen and colleagues listed Science-Based Medicine alongside WebMD as an example of an "information service" providing articles on health and illness.[27]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Science-Based Medicine collected and debunked misinformation that had spread through social media, such as the false claim that COVID-19 vaccines could cause infertility.[28]

## Retractions

On June 15, 2021,[29] Science-Based Medicine published a book review of Abigail Shrier's Irreversible Damage written by founding editor Harriet Hall.[30] In her review, Hall wrote that Shrier's book had raised legitimate concerns about the science surrounding drug treatments for gender dysphoria in children and that there was a lack of quality scientific studies on the subject.[30] Several days after the review was published, Novella and Gorski replaced the review with a retraction notice and responded with a review of their own, the first of six SBM posts rejecting Shrier's claims and addressing the retraction.[4][31]

Skeptic magazine republished Hall's review,[32] and she remained one of three editors at SBM along with Novella and Gorski after the retraction until her death in 2023.[4][33]

## Legal

In 2014, Novella was sued by Edward Tobinick,[16] a doctor claiming to treat neurological conditions, over two blog posts on Science-Based Medicine critical of off-label use of the drug Etanercept by Tobinick's medical clinic.[34] Novella had said that it was "unethical for physicians to practice outside of their area of competence and expertise". The lawsuit, filed by Tobinick against Novella, the Society for Science-Based Medicine, Inc., and SGU Productions, LLC was resolved after the court ruled in favor of the defendants.[35]

## See also

* Evidence-based practice
* Quackwatch

## References

1. ↑ "Announcing the Science-Based Medicine Blog" (in en-US). Science-Based Medicine. January 1, 2008. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/hello-world/.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 McNamee, David (August 22, 2014). "Why is scientific literacy among the general population important?". Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/281470.php.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Gorski, David (2020-08-17). "Announcement: The Society for Science-Based Medicine is becoming part of the Center for Inquiry" (in en-US). https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/announcement-the-society-for-science-based-medicine-is-becoming-part-of-the-center-for-inquiry/.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Williams, Nathan (2021-08-25). "Ideology-based medicine" (in en-GB). https://thecritic.co.uk/ideology-based-medicine/.
5. ↑ Plait, Phil (2008-01-12). "Medical blog now online" (in en). https://slate.com/technology/2008/01/medical-blog-now-online.html.
6. ↑ Stein, Rob (April 20, 2015). "FDA Ponders Putting Homeopathy To A Tougher Test". NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/04/20/398806514/fda-ponders-whether-homeopathy-is-medicine.
7. ↑ Branswell, Helen (May 26, 2015). "Spurious Lyme disease 'cures' proliferate on web, study finds". The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/therapies-available-online-raise-concerns-over-lyme-disease-cures/article24617431/.
8. ↑ Robertson, Blair (May 18, 2016). "Despite safety benefits, there's no consensus on bike helmets". The Sacramento Bee. https://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/health-fitness/article78558542.html.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Painter, Kim (July 17, 2016). "'Dry needling' for pain therapy is under scrutiny". USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2016/07/17/dry-needling-acupuncture-pain/86940278/.
10. ↑ Weber, Nina (August 18, 2011). "Asthma-Patienten: Placebo-Studie erzürnt US-Mediziner" (in de). Der Spiegel. http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/medizin/asthma-patienten-placebo-studie-erzuernt-us-mediziner-a-780463.html.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lilienfeld, Scott (January 27, 2014). "Evidence-Based Practice: The Misunderstandings Continue". Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-skeptical-psychologist/201401/evidence-based-practice-the-misunderstandings-continue.
12. ↑ Harvey, Chelsea (January 27, 2016). "How cases like Flint destroy public trust in science". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/01/27/how-cases-like-flint-destroy-public-trust-in-science/.
13. ↑ Walker, Connie; Luke, Marnie (May 7, 2016). "Health Canada investigates Florida spa director's illegal supplements". CBC News. http://www.cbc.ca/news/investigates/supplements-clement-six-nations-1.3570751.
14. ↑ Bradley, Fikes (January 4, 2016). "Most biomed studies irreproducible, reviews find". The San Diego Union-Tribune. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jan/04/biomedical-studies-not-reproducible/.
15. ↑ Senapathy, Kavin (2022-06-14). "Conquering Secular and Skeptical White Supremacy in America" (in en-US). https://thehumanist.com/magazine/summer-2022/features/conquering-secular-and-skeptical-white-supremacy-in-america/.
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Volokh, Eugene (April 8, 2015). "Society for Science-Based Medicine is "media defendant" under Florida statute" (in en-US). The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/04/08/society-for-science-based-medicine-is-media-defendant-under-florida-statute/.
17. ↑ "Society For Science Based Medicine - Nonprofit Explorer" (in en). 2013-05-09. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/463195402.
18. ↑ "Bylaws - Society for Science-Based Medicine". http://sfsbm.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=490. "records from the State of Florida confirming SfSBM as legally a non-for-profit corporation"
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Novella, Steven (2015-05-01). "It's Time for Science-Based Medicine" (in en-US). https://skepticalinquirer.org/2015/05/its-time-for-science-based-medicine/.
20. ↑ "SFSBM - Society for Science-Based Medicine" (in en-gb). http://www.sfsbm.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=featured&Itemid=435. "As of 6/19 the Society is undergoing reorganization with a merger with Science-Based Medicine."
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Editors". August 18, 2009. https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/editorial-staff/.
22. ↑ Johannes, Laura (May 19, 2014). "Will Getting Grounded Help You Sleep Better and Ease Pain?". Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304652804579572072977644460. "says Steven Novella, a clinical neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., and executive editor of the blog Science-Based Medicine, which looks at controversies in science and medicine."
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Freedman, David H. (July 2011). "The Triumph of New-Age Medicine". The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/07/the-triumph-of-new-age-medicine/308554/. Retrieved March 11, 2017. "Novella is a highly respected Yale neurologist, and the editor of Science-Based Medicine, an influential blog that has tirelessly gone after alternative medicine.".
24. ↑ Horgan, John (May 16, 2016). "Dear "Skeptics," Bash Homeopathy and Bigfoot Less, Mammograms and War More" (in en). https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/dear-skeptics-bash-homeopathy-and-bigfoot-less-mammograms-and-war-more/.
25. ↑ Seltzer, Rick (September 26, 2017). "UC Irvine under scrutiny for taking $200 million for school of health from couple some say back junk science" (in en). https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/09/26/uc-irvine-under-scrutiny-taking-200-million-school-health-couple-some-say-back-junk.
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 "Experts denounce clinical trials of unscientific, 'alternative' medicines" (in en). Cell Press. August 20, 2014. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140820123248.htm.
27. ↑ "Characterizing Websites That Provide Information About Complementary and Integrative Health: Systematic Search and Evaluation of Five Domains". Interact J Med Res 7 (2): e14. October 2018. doi:10.2196/ijmr.9803. PMID 30305254.
28. ↑ "Automatic detection of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation with graph link prediction". J Biomed Inform 124. December 2021. doi:10.1016/j.jbi.2021.103955. PMID 34800722.
29. ↑ Hall, Harriet (June 15, 2021). "Book Review: Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, by Abigail Shrier". https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/irreversible-damage-the-transgender-craze-seducing-our-daughters/.
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Williams, Nathan (2021-08-25). "Ideology-based medicine" (in en-GB). https://thecritic.co.uk/ideology-based-medicine/.
31. ↑ Novella, Steven; Gorski, David (June 30, 2021). "The Science of Transgender Treatment". https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-science-of-transgender-treatment/.
32. ↑ Hall, Harriet (June 17, 2021). "Trans Science: A review of Abigail Shrier's Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters". https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/trans-science-review-of-abigail-shier-irreversible-damage-transgender-craze-seducing-our-daughters/.
33. ↑ Novella, Steven (15 January 2023). "In Memoriam – Dr. Harriet Hall". sciencebasedmedicine.org. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/in-memoriam-dr-harriet-hall/.
34. ↑ Kaplan, Alex; Pang, Evelyn (2017-03-31). "No Scrubs Permitted: Eleventh Circuit Affirms Blog Post Is Not Advertising Actionable Under Lanham Act" (in en). https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=beecda8a-e47e-422e-8947-f390b493c13b.
35. ↑ "Another Free Speech Win In Libel Lawsuit Disguised As A Trademark Complaint" (in en-US). 2017-02-24. https://abovethelaw.com/2017/02/another-free-speech-win-in-libel-lawsuit-disguised-as-a-trademark-complaint/.

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