- Thou shalt endeavour to provide patient care based on the BEST evidence. (BEEM)
- Thou shalt consider benefits of drugs as proven only by hard endpoint studies and not bow down to drug reps literature.
- Thou shalt not worship Guidelines, for these are but the creations of Committees which even their own members do not strongly believe in the recommendations.
- Thou shalt apply a pinch of salt to Relative Risk Reductions, regardless of P values, for the population of their provenance may bear little relationship to thy daily clientele.
- Thou shalt honour the Numbers Needed to Treat (NNT), for therein rest the clues to patient-relevant information and to treatment costs.
- Thou shalt also honour the Number Needed to Harm (NNH) such that primum non nocere (first do no harm).
- Honour the elderly patient, for although this is where the greatest level of risk reside, so do the greatest hazards to many treatments.
- Thou shalt not see drug reps, nor covet an Educational Symposium in a luxury setting like Hawaii.
- Thou shalt share decisions on treatment options with the patient in the light of estimates of the individual’s likely risks and benefits.
- Thou shalt be skeptical/critical of all that you are taught, even if taught by (insert medschool professor name here)
