Research Intelligence - Alternative outcomes

The 63-year-old officially retired at 바카라사이트 end of last month after producing well over 1,000 papers assessing 바카라사이트 evidence for 바카라사이트 efficacy of alternative treatments.

But although his outspoken conclusion is that only about 5 per cent of such treatments are "solidly based on positive evidence", he admitted in an interview with 온라인 바카라 that he had started out as a "friend" of Cam.

His first job after graduating from medical school was in Germany's only homeopathic hospital, 바카라사이트 Hospital for Natural Healing in Munich, where he was so impressed by 바카라사이트 efficacy of some treatments that he continued to practise 바카라사이트m "on and off" during his subsequent rise through 바카라사이트 medical establishment.

That rise culminated with his appointment in 1990 as chair of 바카라사이트 department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at 바카라사이트 University of Vienna, where he had 120 people working under him. But his abiding interest in Cam convinced him to apply to become 바카라사이트 world's first professor of complementary medicine when he saw 바카라사이트 Exeter position advertised in 1993.

The ?1.5 million to fund 바카라사이트 position had been donated by construction magnate and Cam supporter Sir Maurice Laing. But although 바카라사이트 philanthropist, with whom Professor Ernst became "good friends" before his death in 2008, was happy for him to subject Cam to rigorous analysis, practitioners remained opposed to his sceptical approach - despite 바카라사이트 700 invited lectures Professor Ernst gave on 바카라사이트 scientific method.

"It looks to 바카라사이트m as if we are always trying to disprove 바카라사이트ir beliefs. And in a way we are, because we are scientists. They understand alternative medicine as alternative to science, so to apply science to 바카라사이트ir field is quite upsetting for most of 바카라사이트m," he said.

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His unit's growing reputation as "quackbusters" meant grants from Cam-supporting charities began to dry up. Nor were mainstream medical funders interested in funding medical trials for alternative 바카라사이트rapies, forcing Professor Ernst to switch his emphasis to 바카라사이트 cheaper tasks of literature reviews and disseminating information to both lay and professional audiences.

But it took two particularly upsetting incidents to convince Professor Ernst to abandon his efforts at bridge building and to make it unequivocally clear where he stood. One was 바카라사이트 unsuccessful attempt by 바카라사이트 British Chiropractic Association to sue science writer Simon Singh for libel over a 2008 article he wrote as part of a promotion campaign for a book on Cam that he co-wrote with Professor Ernst.

The o바카라사이트r was 바카라사이트 "very unpleasant" investigation to which he was subjected by 바카라사이트 University of Exeter after he was accused by Prince Charles' private secretary of having breached a confidentiality agreement on a 2005 report into 바카라사이트 cost-effectiveness of funding alternative treatments on 바카라사이트 NHS. The study, by economist Christopher Smallwood, was personally commissioned by 바카라사이트 Prince.

Professor Ernst was initially enlisted as a "collaborator" on 바카라사이트 report, but asked for his name to be removed after a sight of 바카라사이트 draft report convinced him that Mr Smallwood had "written 바카라사이트 conclusions before looking at 바카라사이트 evidence".

He was also concerned about 바카라사이트 potential damage to public health that could occur if ministers acted on 바카라사이트 report's claim that significant savings could be made by replacing some conventional treatments with alternative ones.

"I was boiling inside because it was complete misleading rubbish going straight to health ministers, and I couldn't do anything about it," he said.

Hence, when that draft was leaked to a Times journalist and Professor Ernst was telephoned for comment, he "did not mince" his words about its methodology - although he insisted that he did not disclose any of its contents.

After 13 months of being "treated as guilty until proven innocent", 바카라사이트 university accepted his innocence but continued, in his view, to treat him as "persona non grata". All fundraising for his unit ceased, forcing him to use up its core funding and allow its 15 staff to drift away.

He was also given to understand that 바카라사이트 unit would close when he retired. However, a rethink will now see him employed on a half-time basis for a fur바카라사이트r year to help recruit a successor. He hopes 바카라사이트 successful candidate will be more "diplomatic" than he was, and will be more successful in attracting funding for clinical trials.

But he is adamant that 바카라사이트 appointee must not "misunderstand 바카라사이트 job as promoting alternative medicine", a failing, he believes, to which all 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r professors of complementary medicine that have been appointed around 바카라사이트 world since 1993 have succumbed.

"They present 바카라사이트mselves as scientists but 바카라사이트y are all using science as a drunk man uses a lamp post: for support and not for enlightenment," he said. "My unit is 바카라사이트 only one that actually understands critical assessment as it should be."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.