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@Jonathan Edwards I am not convinced of this point. If they leave everything as is, the only choices are to not extend the trial or to extend it with the exact same form/methodology/outcomes etc. Better to do a new full trial if resources allow. But I have less problems than you do with the idea...

I think people should probably retire this particular accusation against Sharpe. I obviously hold no brief for the good professor and have no particular reason to defend him. But in this case, the quote in full context is actually somewhat sympathetic to the plight of the patients, in my...

I don't think extending a feasibility trial into a full trial is a problem per se--the problem in SMILE was that the two-person subcommittee responding to the request to extend it also allowed Professor Crawley to swap primary sound secondary outcome measures at the same time--a move virtually...

@Esther12 and @Alvin I think there is room for both approaches. All movements have those more moderate and working sometimes from the inside, and those who are more aggressive and shout from the outside. I think in general both are needed for progress. I don't think Lubet's post is actually...

So Carol Monaghan has agreed to add her name to the open letter to The Lancet. She suggested asking the others who also signed the early day motion. I see there are quite a few. Are e-mails of MP standardized? Or is there a list of all MP e-mail addresses somewhere? Thanks!

@Trish good point, I'll send him that review. I'm not sure he's seen it.

Yes I would also love to see the briefing.

I don't know much about parliamentary decorum, but it seems to me that when you have conducted yourself in such an inappropriate manner that multiple MPs and a government minister call you out publicly and demand an apology, you have likely damaged your credibility and effectiveness as an...

I don't think this is exactly right. They're claiming that even if they could get a statistician, which they obviously could, they shouldn't be required to go beyond what other departments would have to in order to comply, and most government units would presumably not have extra statisticians...

That's an interesting question that we hadn't really thought about. For credibility the letter was written for "experts" and "professionals" (doctors, lawyers) but I would think for these purposes being an MP and I guess a government official would qualify as being an "expert." I can touch base...

I should say that I'm pretty sure I've used the phrase "false illness beliefs" at some point but NOT as a direct quote from the PACE authors. I have used it as an objective description of the theory they have promulgated. It is clear from everything they have written that the theory at its core...

I have heard that speculation before. Certainly I've assumed he read it before and advised. Whether he was a formal peer-reviewer, who knows?

That's the first I've heard that I invented the term. Frankly, I see no real difference between "unhelpful" or "dysfunctional" illness beliefs and false ones. Reading the manuals for CBT and GET and all the previous studies makes it very, very clear that the illness beliefs are presumed to be...

So what happened first was an open letter in November, 2015, a month after the series ran. That one was signed just by the five experts I quoted, plus Vincent as Virology Blog host. Vincent got a note back from Horton's office that Horton was "traveling" and would respond when he got back from...

Yes, Carol Monaghan is aware of it. The Australians involved are aware of it. It will be shared with reporters as well. Anyone can share it with their insurers and doctors.

That would be interesting.

That's great. I thought I'd post it on Virology Blog. I'm assuming that's ok?

Well I don't expect it. I guess it was meant to be aspirational... :)

The idea is to re-post the letter in the near future with organizations added. So Action For ME will have a chance to decide along with other groups whether it wants to add its name. I will be curious what they decide to do. In terms of the goal of the letter--I wouldn't say that getting The...

Perfect. But is that Sharpe's Law or the Sharpe Corollary of Godwin's Law? Perhaps the relevant factor is whether a Nazi or Hitler analogy is also present.