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medical decision making

Essays tagged “medical decision making”. Follow an idea across the archive.

Essays on medical decision making

3 essays

Jun 23, 2026ACX

Should People Avoid Whole-Body Screening Info?

Scott analyzes whether whole-body screening MRIs are worth it by doing a detailed cost-benefit calculation, finding they cost about $108,000 per quality-adjusted life-year saved (right around the threshold of cost-effectiveness), and argues that while rich people immune to anxiety might benefit, most people claiming to be rational about medical decisions probably aren't.

30 min read 4,501 words

Nov 24, 2021ACX

Pascalian Medicine

Scott Alexander examines the concept of 'Pascalian Medicine', weighing the pros and cons of taking multiple unproven but potentially beneficial treatments.

17 min read 2,505 words

COVID-19 treatments ivermectin medical decision making

Nov 23, 2021ACX

When Will The FDA Approve Paxlovid?

Scott Alexander critiques the FDA's slow approval process for Paxlovid, a promising COVID-19 treatment, despite its proven effectiveness.

9 min read 1,382 words

COVID-19 treatments drug approval FDA approval