In evidence we trust: how do doctors decide which treatments to recommend to their patients?

Our bodies are incredibly complex, and so are the diseases and disorders that make us sick. In order to make us better, doctors and healthcare professionals prescribe medicines and recommend therapies. But how do they know which treatments are best? Dr Romina Brignardello from McMaster University in Canada uses systematic reviews to summarise and evaluate the trustworthiness of medical evidence. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Romina’s research was used by the World Health Organization (WHO) to inform their guidance on different treatments for the virus. This animation is a free education resource aimed at inspiring the next generation of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and SHAPE (social sciences, humanities and the arts for people and the economy) experts. It can be used at home or in the classroom alongside a downloadable script, article and activity sheet, all of which are freely available here: www.futurumcareers.com/in-evidence-we-trust-how-do-doctors-decide-which-treatments-to-recommend-to-their-patients