Skip to main content
Kent Academic Repository

Causal Knowledge in Evidence-based Medicine. In reply to Kerry et al.'s Causation and Evidence-based Practice: an Ontological Review

Strand, Anders, Parkkinen, Veli-Pekka (2013) Causal Knowledge in Evidence-based Medicine. In reply to Kerry et al.'s Causation and Evidence-based Practice: an Ontological Review. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 20 (6). pp. 981-984. ISSN 1356-1294. (doi:10.1111/jep.12093) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:51775)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jep.12093

Abstract

In Causation and evidence-based practice: an ontological review, Kerry et al. argue that evidence-based practice (EBP) should revise its understanding of causation, and take on board a dispositionalist ontology. We point out that the challenges from complexity discussed by Kerry et al., are not properly addressed by their proposed ontology. Rather, the difference making views of causation Kerry et al. criticize, spell out the relevant aspects of causation, and have a range of advantages compared to dispositionalist accounts. We explore some of these here, with a special focus on the role of causal assumptions in inferences from scientific evidence to clinical decisions. A philosophical account should help us explicate the assumptions that go into causal inference in EBM. In doing so, it enables an understanding of the various ways in which these assumptions might fail, and of how they can be justified.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/jep.12093
Uncontrolled keywords: causal inference; causal knowledge; dispositionalism; evidence-based medicine (EBM); intervention; philosophy
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Arts and Humanities > School of Culture and Languages
Depositing User: Jacqueline Martlew
Date Deposited: 12 Nov 2015 15:30 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:21 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/51775 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Parkkinen, Veli-Pekka.

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.