Scott Alexander criticizes websites that misleadingly suggest drug side effects by scraping FDA data, potentially causing patients to stop taking necessary medications.
Longer summary
Scott Alexander criticizes websites like EHealthMe that automatically generate pages suggesting connections between drugs and side effects based on FDA data scraping. He argues these sites are misleading and potentially harmful, as they can cause patients to stop taking necessary medications due to unfounded fears of side effects. The post begins with a personal anecdote about a patient concerned about Xolair causing depression, then delves into how these websites operate and why their information is unreliable. Scott emphasizes the scummy nature of these practices and their potential to harm vulnerable individuals, concluding with a stark example of how such misinformation could lead to tragedy.
Shorter summary