False hope.

It’s one thing doctor’s are scared to prescribe--but should we be? A holiday editorial offers some insight into the biologically therapeutic benefit of hope, with lots of science-y citations for those of you who are rolling your eyes. The author argues that hope needs to lose the “art of medicine” umbrella it’s currently under and instead let the data driven skill-building rain. We know bad news can affect quality of life (you really don’t need an MD for that one), but it’s likely transient and may even strengthen the patient-physician relationship. So don’t be scared. Scientifically speaking, when it comes to hope, it can never really be false.