A new book critiques medicine • Hacker News Board

Re: A new book critiques medicine

#11

Post by astura » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 6:08 PM UTC

>The New York Times reported that in 2014 physicians wrote 83,000 prescriptions for antidepressants and almost 20,000 prescriptions for antipsychotic medications for infants two years old and younger

Wow... This seems very obviously inappropriate.

I listened to the EconoTalk interview referenced in TFA after hearing about it on another HN thread. Highly recommended.

I have to say that I have become skeptical of medicine after personally seeing the sheer amount of unscientific and potentially harmful practices that are advocated for by medical practicers. I think there's a lot of good, but wayyyyyy too much bad.

Re: A new book critiques medicine

#12

Post by goldcd » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 6:09 PM UTC

It's not over-rated - but it's complicated.

Even that short article covered a number of items that could all happily be spun out into full-blown essays.

"Over-medication" - just as a term. Could be people taking medicines that: Aren't cost-effective (whatever your system, there's a finite resource at the core). Aren't quality of-life improving (doctors themselves tend to consume less life-extending stuff at the very end). They paid for (You've paid insurance, you're ill, you want to be given something).

Re: A new book critiques medicine

#13

Post by sica07 » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 6:12 PM UTC

codingslave wrote: post #9

I've long believed that once startups and tech companies get their hands on medical data (patient outcomes, medication treatment outcomes, mal practice rates, surgery outcomes) that a reckoning will take place on the medical industry. The level of legitimacy and respect that doctors and hospitals currently have is far too high, and hinges on branding and the exclusivity of becoming a doctor. Once all of this data bec…

There were and are a lot of articles about the fact that many prescription drugs and many treatments are overrated and I totally belive that. But saying that "most" medical treatments & prescription drugs are worthless it's quite a radical view based on... pure speculation.

Re: A new book critiques medicine

#14

Post by lukeschlather » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 6:12 PM UTC

codingslave wrote: post #9

I've long believed that once startups and tech companies get their hands on medical data (patient outcomes, medication treatment outcomes, mal practice rates, surgery outcomes) that a reckoning will take place on the medical industry. The level of legitimacy and respect that doctors and hospitals currently have is far too high, and hinges on branding and the exclusivity of becoming a doctor. Once all of this data bec…

How would a startup make money by showing that treatments are worthless? Startups are going to have the same incentives as other pharmaceutical companies.

Re: A new book critiques medicine

#15

Post by luckylion » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 6:14 PM UTC

codingslave wrote: post #9

I've long believed that once startups and tech companies get their hands on medical data (patient outcomes, medication treatment outcomes, mal practice rates, surgery outcomes) that a reckoning will take place on the medical industry. The level of legitimacy and respect that doctors and hospitals currently have is far too high, and hinges on branding and the exclusivity of becoming a doctor. Once all of this data bec…

Anti-virus vendors have been doing great, what leads you to believe that medical tech startups won't just look to "disrupt" the market by funneling the money into a different (likely: their) direction?

Re: A new book critiques medicine

#16

Post by amriksohata » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 6:18 PM UTC

Yes,it is, as it's about profit so always about cure, never prevention

Re: A new book critiques medicine

#17

Post by braindead_in » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 6:18 PM UTC

So why do the drug companies charge so much for the medicines then? I just finished watching the Valeant episode of Dirty Money and combined with this book, it all kind of makes no sense.

Re: A new book critiques medicine

#18

Post by drcode » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 6:20 PM UTC

lukeschlather wrote: post #14

codingslave wrote: post #9

I've long believed that once startups and tech companies get their hands on medical data (patient outcomes, medication treatment outcomes, mal practice rates, surgery outcomes) that a reckoning will take place on the medical industry. The level of legitimacy and respect that doctors and hospitals currently have is far too high, and hinges on branding and the exclusivity of becoming a doctor. Once all of this data bec…

How would a startup make money by showing that treatments are worthless? Startups are going to have the same incentives as other pharmaceutical companies.

Well, the hope I have (and OP probably as well) is that machine learning techniques properly applied to the raw data could uncover a lot of statistical errors in the historical literature, which could be both profitable and disruptive.

... Unfortunately, this may happen first in countries with poor human rights records (i.e. China) because there is likely a greater availability of patient data under those circumstances.

Re: A new book critiques medicine

#19

Post by BurningFrog » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 6:20 PM UTC

codingslave wrote: post #9

I've long believed that once startups and tech companies get their hands on medical data (patient outcomes, medication treatment outcomes, mal practice rates, surgery outcomes) that a reckoning will take place on the medical industry. The level of legitimacy and respect that doctors and hospitals currently have is far too high, and hinges on branding and the exclusivity of becoming a doctor. Once all of this data bec…

Maybe you just described why this data will not become available...

Re: A new book critiques medicine

#20

Post by pixelmonkey » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 6:20 PM UTC

codingslave wrote: post #9

I've long believed that once startups and tech companies get their hands on medical data (patient outcomes, medication treatment outcomes, mal practice rates, surgery outcomes) that a reckoning will take place on the medical industry. The level of legitimacy and respect that doctors and hospitals currently have is far too high, and hinges on branding and the exclusivity of becoming a doctor. Once all of this data bec…

"The level of legitimacy and respect that doctors and hospitals currently have is far too high, and hinges on branding and the exclusivity of becoming a doctor. Once all of this data becomes available, it will be obvious how worthless and expensive most medical treatments really are."

I'm the spouse/partner of a recently-trained doctor, and I'm a programmer and startup founder with 2 decades of experience. With all respect, you have no friggen clue what you're talking about.