For interesting reading on the topics of intuition and medicine:

From Doctor to Healer : The Transformative Journey
by Robbie Davis-Floyd, et al (Paperback - January 1999)

Childbirth and Authoritative Knowledge : Cross-Cultural Perspectives
by Robbie Davis-Floyd (Editor), Carolyn Fishel Sargent (Editor) (Paperback -
July 1997)

Intuition : The Inside Story
by Robbie Davis-Floyd (Editor), et al (Paperback - June 1997)


Also, there is a HUGE difference between 'intuition' (gut feelings, hunch,
nagging doubt, whatever) and just "We do it this way because we've always
done it this way."

Such as:

(1)  "We can't cup-feed, we have to use bottles, because we've always used
bottles."  NOT "Because I have a feeling this specific baby would do better
feeding from a bottle."

(2)  "All my patients use Tamoxifen.  The drug reps assure me it's safe."
NOT "You know, I have a gut feeling that you would benefit from Tamoxifen."

(3)  "All our babies go back to the nursery for morning rounds."  NOT "My
intuition is that this specific baby needs to be observed closely by the
nurses because just seems not quite right."


And you can make up hundreds more examples from your own experiences.  There
aren't just two categories or motivation/rationales: "intuition" vs.
"evidence-based."

Rather there is a third category -- called "tradition" -- which is based on
neither intuition nor evidence, but is merely following the simple path of
doing it the way it's always been done, even though no one has a clue why
it's done that way, or if other ways would be better, and even though it may
be contrary to what evidence-based practice says (and contrary to
intuition).  Unfortunately, a lot of what passes for medical care in the US
today is "tradition."

Kathy Dettwyler



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