Detective Mom

Sharing Saturday

Picture by: BrillisBeasty

Being a parent means taking on great responsibility in all facets of your child’s life.  In many ways, it’s combining a number of professions and acquiring expertise well beyond what we might bring to the table. We need to be chefs, schedulers, taxi drivers, economists, doctors, psychologists, as well as a host of others. Our skill sets needs to broaden and include knowing how to read between the lines of research, be critical thinkers, tend to wounds, smooth over feelings, be masters of communication…the list could go on!

I start to think about all of the recommendations when it comes to our health: whether it is normal vaccinations, the H1N1 vaccine, or getting a mammogram (just to name a few). Research changes on a daily basis, and our mass media is all-too-ready to report preliminary results and brand them as fact. We live in a culture that thrives on this instantaneous information and seems to have lost its ability towards critical thinking. It takes anecdotal evidence to be on the same plane as carefully constructed research. And with this research, most of us don’t read between the lines, rather we’re happy to be spoon-fed the facts. 

In a nutshell, how can we read more critically, both for our own sakes as well as our children?

• Look at where the research is coming from. Just because it is on the Internet, doesn’t make it true.
• What is the sample size? Results from a small group might be seductively strong, but the effect might not hold up in a larger group for a myriad of reasons.
• Research can’t control for everything. Think about what it might miss.
• What harm might come from either following/or not following the suggestion? An example would be, is not screening for breast cancer more likely to be harmful or not?
• Get a second opinion. See what other research might say. A study that has been replicated for 10 years and comes up with the same result is pretty convincing in terms of its findings.
• Sometimes, it’s just important to go with your gut.

Comments

[ChristineWithRegence]

I like the idea here of taking charge of our health care options. But what about costs? Why don't we ever know the costs of appointments or treatments? I got a kick out of this fun, short video. Check it out. It makes you wonder why our health care system is set up the way it is.
www.whatstherealcost.org/45secondstoshare