3 ms·

It would be nice if we had some sort of independent research verification system. Basically a group or individual that validates the most important (or highest

by thrush 13y ago

It would be nice if we had some sort of independent research verification system. Basically a group or individual that validates the most important (or highest paying) publications.

nocoment 13y ago
I still don't understand why a consortium of insurance companies doesn't run studies looking for better outcomes with out-of-patent and un-patented drugs. Their tests would be of already approved drugs. In many situations they could save a bundle and in others they would dissuade drug companies from pushing the advertising and costs. The statistics on everything they test would show their general level of bias (assuming drugs aren't getting any worse.)
- Mz 13y ago
  Um, no offense, but do you have any idea what insurance companies are really all about? That sounds, well, crazy to me (as someone with a) a serious medical condition and b) who used to work for an insurance company).
- glomph 13y ago
  Because if treatment gets cheaper they have less business?
- ensignavenger 13y ago
  Many insurance companies (I think that now perhaps all of them in the US, thanks to ObamaCare) have to pay out a certain percent of what they take in to health providers. Thus if they want to increase premiums, and therefore profits, the only way to do it is to increase the cost of care. Preferably, they increase the cost of care for everyone, which drives more people to buy insurance, and means that some other company isn't able to undercut them on premiums by reducing costs. Of course, they als get more float, which insurance companies love. That is the model that health care insurance companies follow, and ObamaCare was a huge gift to helping them out.
shimms 13y ago
We do - cochrane reviews (http://www.cochrane.org http://www.cochrane.org). From their about us page: "Cochrane is a global independent network of health practitioners, researchers, patient advocates and others, responding to the challenge of making the vast amounts of evidence generated through research useful for informing decisions about health. We are a not-for-profit organisation with collaborators from over 120 countries working together to produce credible, accessible health information that is free from commercial sponsorship and other conflicts of interest."

by thrush 13y ago

It would be nice if we had some sort of independent research verification system. Basically a group or individual that validates the most important (or highest paying) publications.

nocoment 13y ago

I still don't understand why a consortium of insurance companies doesn't run studies looking for better outcomes with out-of-patent and un-patented drugs. Their tests would be of already approved drugs. In many situations they could save a bundle and in others they would dissuade drug companies from pushing the advertising and costs. The statistics on everything they test would show their general level of bias (assuming drugs aren't getting any worse.)

Mz 13y ago
Um, no offense, but do you have any idea what insurance companies are really all about? That sounds, well, crazy to me (as someone with a) a serious medical condition and b) who used to work for an insurance company).
glomph 13y ago
Because if treatment gets cheaper they have less business?
ensignavenger 13y ago
Many insurance companies (I think that now perhaps all of them in the US, thanks to ObamaCare) have to pay out a certain percent of what they take in to health providers. Thus if they want to increase premiums, and therefore profits, the only way to do it is to increase the cost of care. Preferably, they increase the cost of care for everyone, which drives more people to buy insurance, and means that some other company isn't able to undercut them on premiums by reducing costs. Of course, they als get more float, which insurance companies love. That is the model that health care insurance companies follow, and ObamaCare was a huge gift to helping them out.

shimms 13y ago

We do - cochrane reviews (http://www.cochrane.org http://www.cochrane.org). From their about us page: "Cochrane is a global independent network of health practitioners, researchers, patient advocates and others, responding to the challenge of making the vast amounts of evidence generated through research useful for informing decisions about health. We are a not-for-profit organisation with collaborators from over 120 countries working together to produce credible, accessible health information that is free from commercial sponsorship and other conflicts of interest."