Last week, I was unexpectedly labeled a “Liberal” online, which left me taken aback as I clutched my pearls and struggled to swallow my hot tea. How did I end up in this position?
Despite the headlines, my week was typical for a physician: I reviewed journal articles, stayed updated on new guidelines, and shared recommendations with my peers. However, a recent set of guidelines hit close to home as they related to my child’s safety. In response, I collaborated with fellow local doctors to draft a letter urging everyone to adhere to the rules set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control. We advocated for mask-wearing in schools as part of a comprehensive strategy aimed at ensuring that all children, especially the most vulnerable, could return to school safely.
After our letter was released, some of my colleagues received hostile anonymous calls, and others faced criticism for their support—raising questions about which scientific organizations their critics align with, but that’s a discussion for another time. As someone who prefers reading The New England Journal of Medicine over The New York Times, I found myself questioning whether it was naive to think that evidence-based medicine should stand on its own merit, free from political connotations.
While I watched my perfectly baked scones grow cold, I couldn’t help but wonder: how did adhering to medical recommendations become synonymous with a political stance?
We live in an age where guidelines dictate medical practice, and now it feels as if our protocols are scrutinized like they’re Olympic events. The treatments for COVID-19 are still relatively new and under-tested, much like the vaccines themselves. Yet, how many patients have desperately sought any form of treatment, regardless of how experimental, once they fell ill? Were those who called to “cancel” me suggesting they would reject all evidence-based treatments?
A childhood friend recently approached me for advice regarding her mother’s newly discovered breast mass. I could easily have recommended an obscure “expert” who advocates for using high doses of veterinary antibiotics as a cancer cure. Instead, I referred her to a respected surgeon at a renowned cancer institute after consulting the appropriate management guidelines. In that moment, was I acting like a liberal, or simply fulfilling my duty as a physician?
At Harvard, there’s a cheeky saying among internists: “If there are no side effects, does it even work?” This highlights the importance of risk-benefit analysis in medicine, which is why doctors rely on established guidelines instead of improvising.
I shouldn’t have been surprised by the backlash against evidence-based recommendations. Simple, accessible methods to protect our communities—such as masking and vaccinating—are available. Yet, many choose to ignore them.
As I reflect on these events, I feel a deep sense of sadness, not only from the online vitriol but also from the notion that being a “good citizen” and following guidelines has been politicized.
Are we living in a time where the age-old value of looking out for one another is now deemed political?
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Summary:
In this piece, Dr. Avery Thompson reflects on the surprising intersection of evidence-based medicine and political identity. After facing backlash for advocating adherence to medical guidelines, she questions why following evidence-based recommendations has become politicized. Through her experiences as a physician, she emphasizes the importance of community health and the responsibility of individuals to protect one another, while lamenting the societal shift that has politicized basic medical recommendations.
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