A rarely mentioned problem in primary care is that of academic peer
pressure. GPs’ are subjected to poorly interpreted data from population
meta-analyses to drive the evidence on which they should base their day-to
-day practice. When they choose not to adopt an “evidence base” for such
practice; they are belittled and scorned by their peers. We would do well
to remember the cyclical nature of such evidence by recalling the
medicalisation of upper respiratory tract infections in previous
generations of patients and its ensuing over prescribing of antibiotics,
which we are now beginning to regret and to redress.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
05 March 2009
O James Sherifi
GP
Hardwicke House Group, Stour Street, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2AY
Rapid Response:
Academic peer pressure
Dear Editor
A rarely mentioned problem in primary care is that of academic peer
pressure. GPs’ are subjected to poorly interpreted data from population
meta-analyses to drive the evidence on which they should base their day-to
-day practice. When they choose not to adopt an “evidence base” for such
practice; they are belittled and scorned by their peers. We would do well
to remember the cyclical nature of such evidence by recalling the
medicalisation of upper respiratory tract infections in previous
generations of patients and its ensuing over prescribing of antibiotics,
which we are now beginning to regret and to redress.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests