FoSiM: Definitive Proof of systemic bias/prejudice against Alternative Medicine/Therapies

Here's incontrovertible evidence that FoSiM are not interested in "Science in Medicine", but specifically in attacking practitioners they don't approve of. They are "Doctors against Alternative Medicine" [DAAM].

There has been no mention/coverage of this piece of science on the DAAM/FoSiM website, even though it was done by one of their own senior members, Braitwaite.

CareTrack: assessing the appropriateness of health care delivery in Australia, 20-Jul-2012.
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2012/197/2/caretrack-assessing-appropriateness-health-care-delivery-australia
Conclusions: Although there were pockets of excellence and some aspects of care were well managed across health care providers, the consistent delivery of appropriate care needs improvement, and gaps in care should be addressed. There is a need for national agreement on clinical standards and better structuring of medical records to facilitate the delivery of more appropriate care.

There was a related MJA editorial (I can't see) by Chirs Del Mar, one of the Skeptic/DAAM heavy-weights.

A dog walking on its hind legs? Implications of the CareTrack study.
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2012/197/2/dog-walking-its-hind-legs-implications-caretrack-study
Despite its limitations, this important study highlights a genuine need for systematised performance monitoring

No mention on the DAAM/FoSiM site of this study, though there is a lot of other activity since 20-Jul-2012.



This lack of comment suggests they are only interested in targeting the 1% of the Healthcare Industry that is "Alternate Medicine" or Therapies.

Another important piece of Australian Research was published two weeks later, again in the MJA. Again, ignored by FoSiM.

The effect of clinical history on accuracy of electrocardiograph interpretation among doctors working in emergency departments, 06-Aug-2012
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2012/197/3/effect-clinical-history-accuracy-electrocardiograph-interpretation-among-doctors
Conclusion: Bias in clinical history significantly influenced the accuracy of ECG interpretation. Strategies that reduce the detrimental impact of cognitive bias and improved ECG training for doctors are recommended.

This second piece of ignored research, especially within a short time, moves the suggestion of bias to proof, even definitive evidence, of systemic bias, filtering and prejudice by DAAM/FoSiM.

DAAM/FoSiM is categorically not interested in furthering "Science in Medicine", but attacking only "Alternative Medicine" and Therapies for reasons not stated.

DAAM/FoSiM can't claim "ignorance" or "irrelevance": these two studies, in quick succession, are high-quality research, by their people, into serious problems in Medical care.
If the studies were none of these, then DAAM/FoSiM would be obliged to repudiate the studies and critique their defects.

If DAAM/FoSiM were a commercial entity and fell under the ACCC, they would be liable under s52 of the TPA/CCA for "false or misleading statements". Under NSW Association Law, hate groups like this are happily tolerated. Just like the egregious behaviour of the Board/CEO of the HSU (Health Services Union), they are in a "fire-free" environment and can't be publicly brought to account.

Here is another important report that didn't garner any comment from DAAM/FoSiM.

Forcing junior doctors to believe they should work these hours is dysfunctional. It doesn't take research to know that after 36-hours straight wakefulness, anyone is seriously impaired. Driving a bus in this state would be dangerous, irresponsible and criminally negligent.

Attempting to deliver Medical Care, making life and death decisions and actions, whilst in this state is beyond simple Negligence, it is committing a wilful act almost certainly leading to harm. Under the NSW Law relating to Medical practice, this is, amazingly, not a crime.

Although there should be a much higher Duty of Care on Medical doctors than bus drivers, because of the much higher Fiduciary Duty involved ("they hold your life in their hands"), the reverse is true.

Nor is it criminal to allow, encourage or pressure junior Medical doctors to routinely engage in this dangerous, negligent behaviour. It's a consequence-free zone.

This is exactly the systemic behaviour and lack of governance, review and consequences that led to Jayant Patel and the others indicted by the 2005 Enquiry into Queensland Health.
And why we know that nothing has substantially changed in Queensland Health - nobody is charged with seeing the recommendations are fully implemented.

When the next Commission of Enquiry is run there, they won't be able to hold anybody accountable for failing in their Duty of Care to patients to implement systems to prevent and detect known faults, failures and errors. The 2005 Enquiry noted that previous enquires had made recommendations that would've prevented all the problems it investigated.

Who's responsible for this complete failure of governance and basic accountability in Queensland Health? Starting with the Minister for Health and heading down the hierarchy a long way, out to the AMA for not pursuing the issue and forcing a result and into the education/university system for not actively training junior doctors in their duty to patients, "First, Do No Harm".

AMA Safe Hours Audit 2011
http://ama.com.au/ama-safe-hours-audit-2011Longest work was 120hrs in a week (up from 113), with 43hrs in a single shift (up from 39).
Average work hours over 55hrs/week.