It’s not that Dr. John Ioannidis envisions doctors making all their decisions based solely on solid evidence — there’s simply too much complexity in patient treatment to pin down every situation with a great study. “Doctors need to rely on instinct and judgment to make choices,” he says. “But these choices should be as informed as possible by the evidence. And if the evidence isn’t good, doctors should know that, too. And so should patients.”

— David Freedman on Dr. John Ioannidis, medical meta-researcher.

   Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science, The Atlantic, 2010.