Pharmaco-epistemology for the prescribing geriatrician

Abstract

Clinicians are becoming more reliant on their interpretation of clinical trial information to guide prescribing rather than their clinical skills. Thus to improve prescribing, it is increasingly important for clinicians to have an appreciation of epistemology (the science of knowledge and its interpretation) and the broader social context of knowledge. The insights of epistemologists can be useful in understanding the different ways in which clinical trials data are interpreted. © 2008 The Authors.