Antioxidant supplements for prevention of mortality in healthy participants and patients with various diseases - The Cochrane Library ((beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium)

Antioxidant supplements for prevention of mortality in healthy participants and patients with various diseases - The Cochrane Library

 Abstract

"The increased risk of mortality was associated with beta-carotene and possibly vitamin E and vitamin A, but was not associated with the use of vitamin C or selenium. The current evidence does not support the use of antioxidant supplements in the general population or in patients with various diseases."

Background

Our systematic review has demonstrated that antioxidant supplements may increase mortality. We have now updated this review.

Objectives

To assess the beneficial and harmful effects of antioxidant supplements for prevention of mortality in adults.

Understanding Evidence-based Healthcare: A Foundation for Action | US Cochrane Center - 6 modules

Course Description:
In these six modules, we will illustrate key concepts with compelling real-world examples, covering the following topics and issues. Run times do not take into account interruptions or a second review of selected slides.

• Module 1. INTRO: What is evidence-based healthcare and why is it important? (45 minutes)
• Module 2. ASK: The importance of research questions in evidence based healthcare. (40 minutes)
• Module 3. ALIGN: Research design, bias and levels of evidence. (1 hour)
• Module 4. ACQUIRE: Searching for healthcare information. Assessing harms and benefits. (1 hour 10 minutes)
• Module 5. APPRAISE: Behind the numbers: Understanding healthcare statistics. Science, speed and the search for best evidence. (1 hour 20 minutes)
• Module 6: APPLY: Critical appraisal and making better decisions for evidence-based healthcare, Determining causality. (1 hour)

Evidence Based Medicine: Making It Better - Economic & Political Weekly

COMMENTARY

"Newer definitions of EBM now acknowledge
that research evidence alone is not adequate
to guide action."

Health Affairs -- Comments on: Evidence That Consumers Are Skeptical About Evidence-Based Health Care

Evidence That Consumers Are Skeptical About Evidence-Based Health Care -- abstract/free full access

Note: some key excerpts (U.S. research):

"Beliefs And Values Study participants consistently voiced a number of values and beliefs that were at odds with evidence-based approaches." "All Care Meets Minimum Quality Standards: Although focus-group participants could envision a health care provider’s making an occasional mistake, they found it hard to believe that providers could deliver truly substandard care—and certainly not their own providers."
"Behaviors In The Medical Encounter Our survey results indicate that many consumers do not engage in behaviors that could be beneficial to them during medical encounters. More than half of the respondents had never taken notes during a medical appointment (55 percent) or brought online information to discuss with their doctor (60 percent). Almost half had never brought someone to provide support or advocacy (44 percent). In addition, 28 percent of the respondents had never brought questions to ask their doctor (Exhibit 3)."
"Effective communication with and support of consumers is essential to improving the quality of health care and containing health care costs. Clearly, consumers will revolt if evidence-based efforts are perceived as rationing or as a way to deny them needed treatment. Policy makers, employers, health plans, providers, and researchers will thus need to translate evidence-based health care into accessible concepts and concrete activities that support and motivate consumers. A necessary condition for effective communication, after all, is to start where your audience is—even if that is not where you hoped or expected it to be."