What "Evidence" Means in Medicine

When people hear "evidence-based medicine," they sometimes assume it means whatever doctors or institutions say. That is not what it means.

Evidence is about quality: Was the study well designed? How many people were involved? Were the outcomes that matter to patients actually measured? Can the results be replicated?

Being skeptical of hype is not the same as being skeptical of science. Good science welcomes scrutiny. Marketing does not.

In future essays I will unpack specific topics — screening tests, supplements, common diagnoses — with this lens. The goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you better tools for thinking.