biochem wrote:
The problem is the human factor. Since it is decentralized, they have to choose to do it and most feel their time is better spent elsewhere. Due to all the compliance burdens and lawsuit prevention, they are now spending 1/4 of their time on paperwork. I suppose they feel this is just one more thing taking time away from face to face time with patients.
And it's not just deaths, some of the really interesting data coming out of Europe is on co-morbidities (diseases that occur together in the same patient). It is providing some really interesting research hypothesis around disease relationships: Disease 1 causes/increases the risk of disease 2, disease 1 and disease 2 have the same underlying cause/risk (obesity for example). Some of those relationships have been known for years, other have been surprises. Big data has been very useful in this respect. For example People with Disease 1 have a 10x greater chance of disease 2 than a matched control group. That matched control group is really key, a lot of wild goose chases have been started by the use of poor control groups and the big data in the European databases when used properly allows excellent matching.
It's frustrating,, though I do understand the frustrations of inane paperwork nonsense. I guess I just do not think this is nonsense. Well, my opinion is not being consulted.
what you're reporting about co factors is very interesting. One that came to mind instantly was HIV and Kaposi's Sarcoma, one of it's most common opportunistic infections, IIRC. Hope I spelled it correctly.