Reconciling Anecdotal Attainment with Evidence-Based Homoeopathy: Ethical Dilemmas and Clinical Realities
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Homoeopathy, as a therapeutic system, has long faced a divide between clinical success stories and the lack of substantial evidence in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This paper explores the ethical tensions and clinical consequences of relying on anecdotal attainments in a field that increasingly demands evidence-based validation. While patient testimonials often capture the deeply individualized and psychosomatic outcomes admired in homoeopathy, they fall short of the scientific precision expected in modern medicine. This article confers key ethical dilemmas, such as the use of unvalidated treatments, potential patient misinformation, and the peril of undermining scientific credibility. It also analyzes the difficulties in implementation of conventional evidence standards (like RCTs) to a system grounded in individualization and subjectivity. Furthermore, we proclaim that an expanded model of evidence, which includes patient-reported outcomes, observational data, and qualitative narratives, may be ethically and epistemologically appropriate for homoeopathy. The manuscript invigorates dialogue between traditional scientific standards and experiential evidence to foster a responsible, transparent, and ethically sound homoeopathic practice.
Author: Shweta Tushar Patil
Language: English
Subfield: Complementary and alternative medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4415030147
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