McMaster University Study on CFS/ME - Meredith Vanstone, Jason Busse, Dena Zeraatkar

The information about this study was posted on this Reddit Thread where apparently MacMaster University was trying to recruit ME/CFS patients.

Here's how the McMasterCFS account represented itself and the study:

"Our team is made up of Dr. Meredith Vanstone who is a Scientist who studies complex, ambiguous, and marginalized topics in medicine, health, and psychology. Drs. Busse and Zeraatkar are physicisns who treat CFS/ME patients. We have two patient partners on our team who have CFS/ME and have experienced some degree of improvement. I am a Research Coordinator with expertise in psychology and mental health, as well as qualitative research. None of us are students. This is not a student project. This study is funded by an anonymous donor. This donor has a family member with CFS and has an interest in understanding how to treat CFS/ME from a patient perspective." ​

Reddit members were skeptical, calling McMasters a "breeding ground of psychosomatics". The original post seem to have been deleted by moderators.

This seems to be the link to the survey:
https://dfmgp.mcmaster.ca/surveys/?s=8LHCYKPN3K3DCKN9

 

Patients had to fill in this questionnaire but the study consisted of a 45-60 minute online interview.

I find it a bit strange that the survey doesn't ask much questions about symptoms or medical examinations (to determine diagnostic criteria) and that they are simply recruiting patients online from anywhere in the world without any attention to selection bias.

 

The Reddit thread and study were originally posted in the News About Canada Thread here.

 

Doesn't sound good. Sad if a well meaning relative was persuaded to put money into something likely to make things worse.



FB group linking to it:

 

They are only looking for people who have ever experienced any improvement? There is a gift card at stake!

 

Sorry, could someone clarify. Is Busse a physician or a chiropractor? I was under the impression it was the latter. If the official Reddit account was representing him as a physician, and he isn’t, how is this not a major ethical breach?

 

https://cpn.mcmaster.ca/contact-us/full-bio/jason-busse

 

Isn't the McMaster Psychiatry Department where Jeremy Devine is based? It wouldn't encourage me to want anything to do with a university that contained him.

https://www.virology.ws/2021/04/19/...esponds-with-mcmaster-u-about-that-wsj-op-ed/

 

So he's a chiropractor but he is referred to as a physician in the appeal for the study. In Canada, are chiropractors called physicians?

 

No, a chiropractor has a professional doctorate in his specialty, can be called Doctor but is not a physician. Here is a summary of Jason Busse's academic background. It seems that he is not a MD, although he holds doctorates.
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jason-busse

 

Also, I looked up his name in the CPSO (College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario) registry, his name is not listed.
https://www.cpso.on.ca/en

 

It appears that his 'specialty' is pain management.