What's wrong in this scenario* is that Dr Zen's practice has been hijacked by guidelines, economic imperatives and intrusive technologies. Evidence-based medicine may be a comfort to Zen in the five minutes she has and may improve the look of the annual report of Corporation Enterprise, but the value of her skilled interpretation of the patient's narrative has been ignored. She remains a world away from her patient, with little time to weigh and integrate the research evidence on her screen. Algorithms and hospital-based trials cannot care compassionately for a man grieving for his lost wife, but narrative-based research may provide guidance.
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