Epidemiologists put all their ducks in a row[1] all the time.   Ducks have been programmed by their DNA to do this; it is only since 1854 that epidemiologists have done the same thing – and it is quite an achievement. It was a little over a year ago (3/11/2020) that the World Health Organization declared […]

Science is under assault world-wide. Thus, the underlying principle of empirical science, the Latin term cited in the title ”Nullius in Verba” — which means: “Don’t take anybody’s word for it”, is probably under question too.  Many believe that the operative slogan now is this; “Take anybody’s word for it” (assuming that that particular “anyone” […]

A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported on the results of a “hotspotting” program created by the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers (Camden Coalition). Hotspotting targets interventions at all or a subset of healthcare superutilizers – the 5% of patients that account for 50% of annual healthcare spending. The results of the study were disappointing. While […]

The world in 1854 believed that cholera was caused by “bad air” (miasma) — and moving away from that foul odor would help prevent the disease. From this idea came “best practices” of flush toilet as well as the perceived economic benefit of living in the highlands in urban areas.  In that year, a London […]