In his new book "How Doctors Think," Jerome Groopman critiques
contemporary medical education and training. He states that doctors
are leaning toward research and statistical evidence, instead of
experience and expert opinion, out of laziness and misplaced
deference to authority. Consequently, the principle of "evidence
before acting" will lead to physicians who stop thinking, stop
evaluating each patient as a unique human being, and stop applying
their knowledge to the peculiarities of the person before them.
Many "bean-counter" doctors recommend treatments that are seemingly
supported by statistics but may not be appropriate for the person
they are facing. Groopman urges doctors to become more conscious of
their own feelings, emotions, responses, and choices, and to promote
a greater collaboration with patients.

Groopman also suggests that the values, attitudes, and behavior of a
doctor matter far more than the reputation of the institution at
which he or she works. He also cautions doctors about the reliance
on electronic decision aids, which might actually encourage more
mistakes, by distracting the physician away form what should be his
primary focus: the patients' own story. Accurate diagnosis requires
an investment of time to listen, observe, and think. Groopman's
repeated encouragement to the doctor is: "slow down."

There are significant parallels in the field of psychotherapy with
the emerging pressure from insurance companies for "evidence-based"
practice. The claim that a specific type of psychotherapy should
be authorized for a class of symptoms, ignores the uniqueness of the
client as well as the character and skill of the specific
psychotherapist.