The Skinny on IllusionOfKnowledge.com

Dogma is pervasive in all walks of life, but the practice of medicine is so permeated by it that even common beliefs and practices are maintained even in the face of substantial evidence refuting them. Some, such as ordering tests with unproven value, may unnecessarily increase costs to our healthcare system, which impacts all of us. Others, such as administering treatments which are unproven instead of those supported by good research, may cause harm to our patients.
The purpose of this site is to provide a forum for the discussion of evidence-based medicine (EBM). Of course, there are probably hundreds of websites for EBM discussion, but the thing that will hopefully make this site unique is a focus specifically on widely held, dogmatic practices in medicine for which there is evidence which would support a substantial change in thinking or practice. This is not really the place to debate whether Drug A has a 3% or 7% benefit over Drug B. This is the place to discuss controversial subjects which are a matter of "common knowledge" yet which you believe may not be true.

Dogma is not useful for your patients. It is not useful for the healthcare system. It is only useful for those whose egos depend on being able to declare with absolute authority that their practices are The One True Way. So, this site has been created to benefit you, your patients, your peers and the healthcare system in general. If you encounter a study which goes counter to a pervasive belief, post it for others to read. If you have a feeling that something you're being taught isn't supported by EBM and you can't find any data to either support or refute the point, then post a question. Of course, if you think that something on this site is wrong, by all means I invite you to present your case.

This site is in its infancy, so please be patient.

If you find the site useful or interesting, please tell your friends and colleagues about it; the success of this sort of venture depends on participation from you and other like-minded individuals with a desire to further education and knowledge.