I have problems with agents asserting grandiose claims about terms like “evidence” or “reasoning” absent a sound logical foundation, and then becoming belligerent when I do not concede to their pretense of authority.
RE: physician competence regarding statistical analyses – think carefully about these comments by a mathematician and epidemiologist.
It is no shame to admit ignorance of many topics. I’m no expert in auto mechanics, carpentry, or archaeology, to name a few. But I don’t pretend to be so, and people do not risk blood and/or treasure on my non-existent recommendations.
Contrast this admission of ignorance to the behavior of surgeons in response to a clear error in statistical reasoning being pointed out:
I used to think Sander was exaggerating when he accused JAMA of manslaughter for how they report data, but after the past few years, that indictment might need to be expanded.
EBM was touted as a “revolution”, saving people from arbitrary medical authority.
The problem with revolutions is you end up back where you started. Instead of individual doctors making local decisions (that may or may not be rational), front line doctors are now governed by unaccountable medical bureaucrats, who make claims about “best practice” with no skin in the game, creating a failure point that increases the risk, compared to those “bad” old days.