FoSiM: Motivations of Founders and Members. It doesn't add up...

[Post moved to other blog.]

The more I've researched the field of Medicine and Healthcare Reform, the more I've come to wonder:

Just why did Dwyer and his Famous Five setup the ISM "mini-me", Friends of Science in Medicine (FoSiM) in the first place?

and

Why have over 500 practicing and former Medical Practitioners and Researchers publicly identified as supporters of FoSiM?

The usual rubric is "Follow the Money!".

But from what FoSiM tell the world, there's no (real) money involved.

The problem is, I find that either an altruist, hobby/amateur or volunteer organisation just doesn't make sense in one of the largest, most important sectors of the economy, with the most powerful/aggressive vested interests (think Big Pharma) of any Industry including Tobacco, with so many powerful Political and Industry Lobby Groups already extant it makes your head spin and with the decades of research, published material and competing proposals from many sources, each highly funded and staffed with Academic, Practitioner and Maths/Stats experts.

The "Science in Medicine" movement is Ideological not rational, not theory-based, only values based. Insisting that their one model is all that can be and they'll just keep changing the goal-posts so all non-Medical Healthcare is deemed wrong and hence they'd like it to be illegal.

The very process they tout, "Follow the Scientific Method" and "Show me the Evidence", they do not apply to themselves nor their Reform Agenda. There is a huge body of Evidence and prior work out there on what the real problems are with Healthcare and what the implementable solutions to them are: none of that work calls for "More Science".

The fact that FoSiM do not reference the established Field of Healthcare Reform, nor cite the Evidence, screams "This is an Ideological Jihad/Crusade against the Non-Believers, they shall be brought to heel or we will die trying". Anything but "Scientific" or "Evidence Based", which is wonderfully ironic...

The Retired folk - yes, it's a way to spend time and energy, to be involved, to still be relevant, perhaps even to make a difference. I can image Dwyer has a lot of pent-up frustration, regret and resentment resulting from feeling impotent to act against people, well intentioned and not, who attempted to treat his early HIV patients with "non science".

So I 'get' the four Academics: they believe they have are Right and want to change the world in their image.

I 'get' those who practice or research in Medicine: they know their field of practice and can't envision any alternative approaches.

For those still working, it may even be useful in advancing their career, even securing project funding.

But Marron, a non-medical, non-Academic in retirement, what's driving her?

More importantly, what does she get out of this gig, both personally and professionally?

So if she's spending her own time and money, what does she get back in return, especially as she's retired, this 'work' can only only be done For Personal Interest.

This is Psychology 101: Humans need Motivation to continue engaging in an activity.

I can't figure Marron's motivation - it isn't anything Professional nor about helping Individuals, which leaves Internal emotional-defiicit drivers, as far as I can see.