This book examines why physicians are often surprisingly reluctant to follow guidelines for treating patients based on research data. It assesses the merits of these concerns—which include worries about legal liability, financial incentives, the scientific validity of the data, and the objectivity of the issuer of the guidelines. It also proposes ways of developing more useful data and more effective guidelines that would reduce their objections.
Reviews
"A probing and tightly-knit collection of papers . . . Getting Doctors to Listen has one of the hallmarks of truly important scholarly work: implications beyond its stated scope. In particular, the findings of the project pose a deep problem for the ethics of research."—JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association)
About the Author
Philip J. Boyle is senior vice president and editor-in-chief of The Park Ridge Center. He was formerly the associate for medical ethics at The Hastings Center.
