False Positive: A Year of Error, Omission, and Political Correctness in the New England Journal of Medicine - Hardcover

The New England Journal of Medicine is one of the most important general medical journals in the world. Doctors rely on the conclusions it publishes, and most do not have the time to look beyond abstracts to examine methodology or question assumptions. Many of its pronouncements are conveyed by the media to a mass audience, which is likely to take them as authoritative. But is this trust entirely warranted?

A Critical Examination by Theodore Dalrymple

Theodore Dalrymple, a doctor retired from practice, turned a critical eye upon a full year of the Journal, alert to dubious premises and to what is left unsaid. In False Positive, he demonstrates that:

• Many of the papers it publishes reach conclusions that are not only flawed but obviously flawed.
• Errors of reasoning and conspicuous omissions often go undetected by the editors.
• In some cases, there is reason to suspect actual corruption.

The Journal’s Take on Social Questions

When the Journal addresses social questions, its perspective is solidly politically correct:

• Practically no debate on social issues appears in the printed version.
• Highly debatable points of view often go unchallenged.

The Journal reads as if there were only one possible point of view, even though the American medical profession (to say nothing of the extensive foreign readership) cannot possibly be in total agreement with the stances taken in its pages. It is thus more megaphone than sounding board.

Encouraging Constructive Criticism

There is indeed much in the New England Journal of Medicine that deserves praise and admiration. However, this book encourages the general reader to:

• Take a constructively critical view of medical news.
• Be wary of the latest medical doctrines.