Alan Cassels Joins FICEBO

 We are very happy to welcome Alan Cassels, a Canadian researcher, author and journalist to the FICEBO teams as our Communications Advisor.  Alan has spent over 30 years researching and writing about pharmaceutical research and policy. He is the author of four books including the international bestseller, Selling Sickness (with RayMoynihan) which documents how the pharmaceutical industry and other actors have been deeply involved in the creation of “diseases” in order to sell treatments.  

He comes to FICEBO with a strong understanding of clinical research, and the way research often misrepresents both diseases and health technologies (particularly drugs, screening programs and surgical procedures) leading to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of otherwise healthy people.    

How did you become to learn about FICEBO?

I met Dr. Teppo Järvinen in the first Preventing Overdiagnosis conference hosted by Dartmouth Medical School in 2013. It was an exciting time back then, when researchers and medical journals around the world were starting to get organized to challenge the problems posed by overdiagnosis.  The group that coalesced around the Preventing Overdiagnosis annual meetings work from the belief that overdiagnosis is a systematic problem, that needs systematic, research-based solutions. Overdiagnosis threatens to medicalize ordinary life experiences and hence is a source of waste and harm that demands immediate action.  When I learned of Teppo’s work I knew we were natural allies and we soon became immediate friends and collaborators.

What is it about FICEBO that interests you?

I have devoted much of my professional career to understanding and writing about bias in medical information and have expertise in the many ways people can be misled. It helped that I spent two years researching and writing about the history of the Cochrane Collaboration and became immersed in the problems faced by the early pioneers of evidence-creation and synthesis.  One of the main sources of bias comes from clinical trials themselves, and if they aren’t set up honestly with equipoise and a foundational interest in getting at the truth, then they could lead to clinicians and patients making bad decisions.  Rigorous sham surgery trials such as those designed and conducted by FICEBO act like a beacon to the rest of the world, demonstrating that by thoroughly reducing bias, we can get closer to the truths that help patients.  

What do you hope to do as FICEBO’s communications advisor?

My goal is to expand the visibility and recognition of FICEBO as a leading national and international authority on evidence-based orthopaedics. This means using social media, and other means to increase the audience of readers and subscribers to FICEBO publications and resources.  By showcasing FICEBO’s work, collaborators, and others who are working to advance thoughtful, evidence-based orthopaedics we will engage new audiences, including trainees, allied health professionals, and patients.

How will you know you succeeded in your goal?

Good question. I will approach this task in the spirit of humility and learning.  Thankfully there are new things happening related to FICEBO’s world every week and my goal as a conduit of FICEBO’s news would to see a measurable increase in website traffic and social media audiences, leading ultimately to greater international recognition and engagement.

Anything else we should know about you?

One of my mottos is:  if it is not fun, it’s not sustainable. We are  most productive when we can approach our work with purpose, joy and enthusiasm. Because of the respect I have for FICEBO and its dedicated researchers, its ethical backbone and its unique place in the world of orthopaedic research, working here will be a joy.

Lastly, give us a quote that inspires you.

I’d have to turn to the famous and highly quotable Yankees baseball player, Yogi Berra who is probably most known for his quip: “You can observe a lot just by watching.”

However, my favourite Yogi Berraism is this:  “It ain’t the heat, it’s the humility.”  

This weird malapropism reminds me it is those who approach hard challenges with courage and humility are the ones who can achieve great things.  

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