In medicine, it's one thing to know that a treatment works, but quite another to know whether it's better than alternatives.
How do doctors decide what's best?
If the treatment in question involves a device, it could be relatively easy. The company that makes the device is happy to fund a study to test its device against other options.
But what if the question is how quickly surgery should be done to get the best result after certain spinal injuries? No one benefits but the patient. Who pays for that study?
Read more about Dr. Vaccaro's thoughts on the above by clicking here.