The Science and Art of Making Medical Decisions - 2023 Annual Oration
This is indeed the most exciting time to engage in clinical sciences. Sir William Osler described medicine as “a science of uncertainty and an art of probability.” Epidemiology and evidence alone cannot provide the answer to the “What should we do?” questions that physicians face every day. Given uncertainty, trade-offs and values, how should patients, clinicians and policymakers decide among diagnostic and therapeutic choices to make optimal decisions? Medical interventions may have benefits but also adverse effects. Clinical and health policy decisions necessitate weighing benefits and harms and trading off competing objectives. This oration (recorded on November 29, 2023) discusses integrating the science (evidence) and art (uncertainty and patient values) for optimal, evidence-based efficient patient-centered care choices in the face of uncertainty.
History of the Oration
The Massachusetts Medical Society’s (MMS) Annual Oration dates back to 1804 when Dr. Isaac Rand delivered his dissertation entitled, On Phthisis Pulmonalis, and the Use of the Warm Bath. For more than 200 years, MMS
orators have addressed a wide spectrum of topics germane to the evolving practice of medicine.
Faculty
John B. Wong, MD, MACP
Vice Chair of Academic Affairs, Department of
Medicine, Tufts Medical Center
Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine
John B. Wong, MD is Vice Chair of Academic Affairs, a primary care physician, and primary faculty in the Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies at Tufts Medical Center and Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the Tufts University School
of Medicine. A Master of the American College of Physicians, a past president of the Society for Medical Decision Making, an Associate Statistical Editor at the Annals of Internal Medicine, and a member of the US Preventive Services Task Force, he
has been a consultant to the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), World Health Organization, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Patient-Centered
Outcomes Research Institute, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, European League Against Rheumatism, Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement, American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association and others. With over
275 publications, his research focuses on the application of decision analysis to help patients, clinicians, and policymakers choose among alternative tests, treatments or policies, thereby promoting rational evidence-based efficient and effective
patient-centered care that reflects individualized risk assessment and patient preferences. For the NASEM, he has co-authored chapters in the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence 3rd Ed (and will for the 4th Ed), a committee member for diagnostic
errors in medicine (published as Improving Diagnosis in Health Care) and for Evaluating the Process to Develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025, speaker for Sex-specific Reporting of Scientific Research and for Observational Studies
in a Learning Health System, and reviewer for Hepatitis and Liver Cancer. He received his BS with honors from Haverford College and MD from the University of Chicago and completed residency, medical informatics fellowship in Clinical Decision Making,
and chief residency in Internal Medicine at Tufts Medical Center.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:
Course Fees
Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) Physician Member: $40.00
MMS Resident/Student Member: Free
Non-Member Physician: $90.00
Non-Members Resident/Student: $20.00
Allied Health Professional/Other: $32.00
Format & Estimated Time to Complete
Video recording, 1 hour
Accreditation and Credit Information
Accreditation Statement
The Massachusetts Medical Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education
for physicians.
AMA Credit Designation Statement
The Massachusetts Medical Society designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1
Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)
Physician Assistants may claim a maximum of 1.00 Category 1 credits for completing this activity. NCCPA accepts AMA PRA
Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME or a recognized state medical society.
Exam/Assessment: A score of 70% or higher is required to receive AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
Activity Term
Original Release Date: December 7, 2023
Review Date (s): N/A
Termination Date: December 7, 2026
System Requirements
Desktops/Laptops
Windows 10
Mac OSX 10.6 higher
Most modern browsers including:
IE 11+
Firefox 18.0+
Chrome latest version
Safari 12+
Mobile/Tablet
iOS devices beginning with OS version 10 or higher (includes, iPhone, ipad and iTouch devices)
