SMTE is a collaboration of patients, doctors, and filmmakers dedicated to inspiring a critical mass of people into saying “Show Me The Evidence” whenever confronted with a recommendation or claim from an "expert". We have seen how the average American has become addicted to opinions, especially when it comes to health care and public policy. Our goal is to educate and entertain people on this topic, to kick start a national debate over Opinions vs Evidence. We hope SMTE will help everyone answer the following questions:
- Why do consumers use evidence when buying consumer goods, homes, mutual funds, etc., but rarely ask for the same evidence when their doctor prescribes a medication or surgery?
- Why do we not demand evidence when other experts, such as healthcare journalists, report critical claims about medical therapies or public health? Why are we addicted to opinions from experts?
- Does using evidence lead to better outcomes? Does using evidence increase the changes you will get the right diagnosis or the best treatment or avoid an unnecessary treatment?
- Does relying on only opinions from experts, without critical analysis of relevant evidence lead to inferior outcomes such as wrong diagnosis or treatment?
- Who has the evidence that can answer any medical or scientific question and how do we get it and use it to make better decisions?
- How do we convince consumers to become less addicted to opinions and demand a healthy dose of evidence?
Weaning people off their addiction to opinions and on to a healthy dose of evidence will cause a paradigm shift in our society. This radical change in how we make informed decisions will enable true health care reform in America, which will translate into higher quality of health care at lower costs for all.
Watch our videos and learn how to use evidence. inside every patient there is a doctor, IF they have evidence. Evidence saves lives!