References to all included RCTs are available on-line at.

Homeopathic medicines in high dilutions, prescribed by trained professionals, are probably safe and unlikely to provoke severe adverse reactions. It is difficult to draw definite conclusions due to the low methodological quality of reports claiming possible adverse effects of homeopathic medicines.

BackgroundA method for assessing the model validity of randomised controlled trials of homeopathy is needed. To date, only conventional standards for assessing intrinsic bias (internal validity) of trials have been invoked, with little recognition of the special characteristics of homeopathy. We aimed to identify relevant judgmental domains to use in assessing the model validity of homeopathic treatment (MVHT). We define MVHT as the extent to which a homeopathic intervention and the main measure of its outcome, as implemented in a randomised controlled trial (RCT), reflect 'state-of-the-art' homeopathic practice.MethodsUsing an iterative process, an international group of experts developed a set of six judgmental domains, with associated descriptive criteria. The domains address: (I) the rationale for the choice of the particular homeopathic intervention; (II) the homeopathic principles reflected in the intervention; (III) the extent of homeopathic practitioner input; (IV) the nature of the main outcome measure; (V) the capability of the main outcome measure to detect change; (VI) the length of follow-up to the endpoint of the study. Six papers reporting RCTs of homeopathy of varying design were randomly selected from the literature. A standard form was used to record each assessor's independent response per domain, using the optional verdicts 'Yes', 'Unclear', 'No'. Concordance among the eight verdicts per domain, across all six papers, was evaluated using the kappa (κ) statistic.ResultsThe six judgmental domains enabled MVHT to be assessed with 'fair' to 'almost perfect' concordance in each case. For the six RCTs examined, the method allowed MVHT to be classified overall as 'acceptable' in three, 'unclear' in two, and 'inadequate' in one.ConclusionFuture systematic reviews of RCTs in homeopathy should adopt the MVHT method as part of a complete appraisal of trial validity.

A relevância da educação em ética médica na formação do profissional de Medicina tem sido cada vez mais reconhecida em todo o mundo. No Brasil, a Resolução 08/1969 do Conselho Federal de Educação tornou obrigatório o ensino da deontologia nas escolas médicas. Com o objetivo de avaliar a evolução do ensino da ética em escolas médicas brasileiras, foi realizada uma revisão sistemática dos levantamentos nacionais sobre o ensino da disciplina de deontologia, ética médica ou bioética, publicados nos últimos 30 anos. Foram localizados três estudos, publicados em três diferentes décadas, que mostraram estagnação no número de disciplinas específicas para a ética médica ao longo do tempo, baixa carga horária reservada ao seu ensino e reduzido número de professores exclusivos, em sua maioria vinculados à especialidade de medicina legal. Os temas de responsabilidade profissional e segredo profissional foram os mais abordados, sendo o conteúdo ministrado principalmente em aulas expositivas e discussão de casos. A importância da educação em ética médica nos cursos de graduação exige o seu ensino, em todos os períodos, por docentes com vivência profissional e conhecimentos na área de ciências humanas, de forma integrada com outras instâncias responsáveis por aspectos éticos nas instituições, com o objetivo de for-mar profissionais eticamente competentes para o melhor exercício da ciência e arte da medicina.

Indeed, a medicine must first of all be essayed in a healthy body, without any foreign admixture; when the odour and taste have been examined, a small dose must be taken, and attention must be paid to every change that occurs, to the pulse, the temperature, respiration and excretions. Then, having examined the symptoms encountered in the healthy person, one may proceed to trials in the body of a sick person.

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These results do not support concern that deficient MVHT has frequently undermined the published findings of RCTs of individualised homeopathy. However, the 13 trials with 'uncertain' or 'inadequate' MVHT will be a focus of attention in supplementary meta-analysis. New RCTs of individualised homeopathy must aim to maximise MVHT and to enable its assessment through clear reporting.

Purpose : A new programme of systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of homeopathy distinguishes several key attributes of study design and quality: placebo controlled cf. other-than-placebo controlled; individualised cf. non-individualised homeopathy; treatment cf. prophylaxis; internal validity cf. model validity. The present phase of the review programme focuses on assessing the model validity (MV) of peer-reviewed, placebo-controlled, RCTs of individualised homeopathic treatment. Methods : A systematic literature search and subsequent reappraisal of retrieved records identified 31 RCTs that satisfied the inclusion criteria for the present study. MV of the eligible RCTs was appraised using a novel criterion-based method. Assessment domains address: (i) the rationale for the choice of the particular homeopathic intervention; (ii) the homeopathic principles reflected in the intervention; (iii) the extent of homeopathic practitioner input; (iv) the relevance of the main outcome measure; (v) the capability of the main outcome measure to detect change; (vi) the length of follow-up to the endpoint of the study. These six MV domains per RCT were categorised by each of three independent assessors as ?acceptable?, ?unclear? or ?unacceptable?, disparities of opinion being resolved by consensus discussion. Results : Domain-specific and overall ratings of MV per RCT await the outcome of ongoing consensus discussions. A full set of findings will be presented at conference. Conclusions : MV data contribute importantly to the appraisal of RCT quality in systematic reviews of homeopathy.