| Description |
Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the current philosophical paradigm by which contemporary healthcare practices are guided. A related field, evidence-based public health (EBPH), similarly advises practices in the field of public health. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated weaknesses in the current application of evidence-based medical principles, particularly the emphasis and reliance on statistical forms of evidence such as randomized clinical trials (RCTs). These issues include the ethics of control groups in public health settings, the pace and availability of statistically high-powered trials, and the disregard for explanatory evidence. This thesis evaluates the shortcomings associated with evidence-based principles, particularly in the context of the early periods of a global pandemic, and offers potential solutions including pre-and-hibernated trials and policy-making on the basis of mechanistic evidence using a risk-assessment framework. |
