When is evidence based medicine not…

....Evidence based?

We are all led to believe that doctors do what they do because science tells them it is the safest and best way to go.

The truth is that science is just one factor. Doctors are human and subject to many pressures. They must do what their hospitals tell them, their governing boards (such as AMA or ACOG), what is least likely to loose a lawsuit, what their spouses think is best (such as doing what is necessary to take a vacation when planned), what other patients want done, etc.

An example would be childbirth.

Hospitals often have limits on how long they want a woman to labor. For safety? No. So they can spend less money on each woman. C-sections are faster than normal birth.

The ACOG dictates certain procedures under certain conditions (such as c-sections for ALL breeches, previous c-sections, etc). Because of safety? No. politics and what is good for business (though they use safety as an excuse. If you check out the actual evidence it is obvious they are not telling the truth.)

Doctors are not sued for doing c-sections. Just for not doing them.

Doctors get paid more for c-sections than for natural births.

Doctors get to be the hero in a c-section. Mom is hero in a natural birth.

Spouses get upset and kids disappointed when their vacations are cancelled or delayed because some woman refuses to go into labor on her expiration date.

Patients want their own doctor for their birth and they don’t want him to be late for their appointments because some other woman won't hurry up and birth.

Simple solution to make everyone happy? Induce, which often causes baby to go into distress necessitating an “emergency” c-section. (I've posted this link before, but it is worth posting again)

There is a good reason most American babies are born Monday –Friday, 9-5.

And why a full ONE THIRD of American babies are born through surgury instead of the way God intended.