Re: The New Medicine PBS Broadcast (29.30.06)


"PeterB" <pkm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1143743013.470256.135330@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you, Illena, for notifying everyone about this interesting
program. I saw all but the first few minutes. The link is
http://www.pbs.org/thenewmedicine/interview.html, in case anyone missed
the broadcast.

Comments?

Just to get the ball rolling, I wanted to comment on two points I
thought were worth mentioning. One doctor (not sure of his specialty)
made the comment that if there was one thing he wanted his students to
remember, it's that the idea of pain as being either physical or
psychological is dumb. I agree! The other thing that struck me was
the statement by Dr. Richard Davidson of the W.M. Keck Laboratory (I
believe) who said that healthcare is diminished when we dichotomize
disease, treating it as merely a set of symptoms. This is what I mean
when I talk about reductionism in conventional medicine. The young man
in the wheelchair was the star of the show I thought. He's what it's
all about. Anyone else?

PeterB

PBS features misleading "integrated medicine"report.

The Public Broadcasting System has aired a 2-hour special, "The New
Medicine," which portrays "integrated medicine" as a new way to provide
personalized care for patients. The program states correctly that it is
important to pay attention to patients' concerns and emotional needs, but it
falsely portrays this as a new medical approach. Segments of the report
suggest that relaxation therapy can be helpful in certain situations, but
the program exaggerates its importance. Images scattered throughout the
program depict the administration of acupuncture and therapeutic touch
without indicating that neither has any influence on the course of any
disease. A coordinated Web site states that "integrated medicine only uses
complementary therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific
evidence of safety and effectiveness," but its list of methods includes
homeopathy, qigong, reiki, and others that are ineffective and/or based on
nonsensical theories. The site also gives poor advice about finding
practitioners and fails to address whether it makes sense to look for them.

Robert



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