OpenevidenceReviews of openevidence.com

OpenEvidence is recommending wrong, outdated and debunked treatment options for ME/CFS. GET and cognitive behavior therapy or similar have been totally disproven for ME/CFS, and are actively harmful for ME/CFS patients. There are several recent scientific papers discussing this. OpenEvidence need to seriously up their game, keep abreast of current research, and stop making recommendations that can harm patients.

OpenEvidence is recommending a debunked study. The study says Graded Exercise Therapy (GED) helps people with ME/CFS. It has since been proven that GED actively harms people with ME/CFS, sometimes very severely. Since 2021 The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised that GED not be undertaken by people with ME/CFS. Openevidence need to update this urgently, before more people are damaged from taking their advice on this matter.

Information in this app is inaccurate and does not reflect the current evidence base and NICE guidance. For instance, with regards to ME/CFS the app states: "Treatment for CFS is primarily supportive and symptom-based. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET) have shown moderate efficacy in improving fatigue levels, functional capacity, and quality of life." NICE (2021) guidance states that both CBT and GET are contraindicated for ME/CFS, with the NIH stating that GET can be harmful. CBT is recommended only for treatment of associated mood disorders and acceptance of the diagnosis. "In this guideline, graded exercise therapy is defined as first establishing an individual's baseline of achievable exercise or physical activity, then making fixed incremental increases in the time spent being physically active. This definition of graded exercise therapy reflects the descriptions given in the evidence that was reviewed, and it is this approach that the guideline says should not be undertaken." (NICE, 2021)

Graded exercise therapy for ME/CFS is harmful.

Openevidence is doing active harm to the ME/CFS community. Sadly, due to COVID-19, more and more people are being added to this community and put in harm’s way due to the outdated and incorrect information Openevidence is spreading. Graded Exercise Therapy (GET) has never been helpful and has been thoroughly debunked by experts as well as sufferers, and yet they continue to reference it as a valid treatment for ME/CFS. This is unacceptable and inexcusable.

Gives harmful "treatment" advice for M.E/CFS that is outdated and debunked. Particularly the recommendation of GET which has been shown to be harmful to these patients. This tool is not good enough and could actively damage patients health. I assume this is not the only error, though it is significant.

Inaccurately gives outdated and harmful information about chronic illnesses, potentially endangering the well being of paitents.

OpenEvidence is using information that has been repeatedly scientifically disproven regarding ME and Graded Exercise Therapy. It is providing as fact incorrect information that is harmful to patients.