David Lawrence Sackett
David Lawrence Sackett was an influential figure in the realm of evidence-based medicine, recognized for his pioneering contributions to clinical methodology and epidemiology. Born on November 17, 1934, in Chicago, Illinois, he pursued extensive training in internal medicine, nephrology, and epidemiology, earning a medical degree from the University of Illinois and a master's from Harvard University. In 1967, Sackett established Canada’s first clinical epidemiology department at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, where he developed innovative methodologies that transformed clinical trials and the measurement of disease prevalence. His work greatly influenced the evaluation of treatment effectiveness and laid the groundwork for future advancements in medical research.
Sackett authored numerous medical textbooks, including the widely used "Clinical Epidemiology: A Basic Science for Clinical Medicine," and published over three hundred journal articles. His contributions earned him prestigious accolades, including an appointment to the Order of Canada and the Gairdner Wightman Award. He also served as a physician in chief at Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals and headed Oxford University's Center for Evidence-Based Medicine. After retiring from clinical practice in 1999, he founded the Trout Research and Education Centre in Ontario. Sackett passed away on May 13, 2015, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the field of medicine.
Subject Terms
David Lawrence Sackett
Medical researcher
- Born: November 17, 1934
- Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois
- Died: May 13, 2015
- Place of Death: Markdale, Ontario, Canada
Contribution: David Lawrence Sackett was a pioneer in the field of evidence-based medicine. In addition to developing a groundbreaking clinical methodology for the development of new disease treatments, Sackett founded the first clinical epidemiology department in Canada in 1967, at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He authored several medical textbooks and received numerous awards, including a citation to the Order of Canada, one of the most prestigious civilian honors in the country.
Background
David Lawrence Sackett was born November 17, 1934, in Chicago, Illinois. He trained in internal medicine, epidemiology, and nephrology. Sackett earned a master’s degree in epidemiology from Harvard University and a medical degree from the University of Illinois. He immigrated to Canada after completing his medical studies and became the founding chair of McMaster University’s Department of Clinical Epidemiology at the age of thirty-two.
Evidence-Based Medicine
One of Sackett’s most significant contributions to medical science was in the field of evidence-based medicine, which he is credited with founding. During his time at McMaster University, Sackett developed new methodologies for conducting clinical trials and randomized studies. This led to major shifts in how the prevalence of specific diseases was measured in the general population and innovations in the evaluation of disease treatments. Specifically, Sackett improved the theoretical models used to determine the effectiveness of certain treatments and founded new applications of empirical evidence gained through clinical trials and randomized studies.
When Sackett was forty-nine, he completed a second residency because he wanted to improve his medical credentials. He went on to serve as physician in chief at Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals and head of the general internal medicine division for the city of Hamilton, one of Canada’s leading centers of medical research and treatment. Sackett was next invited to head Oxford University’s newly founded Center for Evidence-Based Medicine. There, he contributed to research that led to the discovery of the link between aspirin intake and reduced risk of stroke. In 1999, Sackett retired from clinical practice. He moved back to Canada and established the Trout Research and Education Centre in Ontario.
Honors and Awards
Sackett was appointed to the Order of Canada, one of the highest honors the country can bestow on a civilian, on May 30, 2001. He also won the 2009 Gairdner Wightman Award, an honor bestowed on Canadians who have been exceptional leaders in the medical field.
Sackett wrote more than ten books and published more than three hundred medical journal articles. His text Clinical Epidemiology: A Basic Science for Clinical Medicine has been used as a standard reference book in medical schools around the world.
Personal Life
Sackett married Barbara Bennett after his first year of medical school. They had four sons. Sackett died on May 13, 2015, in Markdale, Ontario. He was eighty.
Bibliography
Agar, Jon. Science in the Twentieth Century and Beyond. Malden: Wiley, 2013. Print.
Collier, Roger. "Dr. David Sackett, a Giant Among Giants (1934-2015)." Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol. 187, no. 9, 2015, pp. 640-641, doi: 10.1503/cmaj.109-5072. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.
Daly, Jeanne. Evidence-Based Medicine and the Search for a Science of Clinical Care. Berkeley: U of California P, 2005. Print.
Knottnerus, J. Andre, and Frank Buntinx, eds. The Evidence Base of Clinical Diagnosis: Theory and Methods of Diagnostic Research. Malden: Wiley, 2011. Print.
Moreira, Tiago. The Transformation of Contemporary Health Care: The Market, the Laboratory, and the Forum. New York: Routledge, 2012. Print.
Rennie, Drummond. "David Sackett Obituary." The Guardian, 29 May 2015, www.theguardian.com/education/2015/may/29/david-sackett. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.
Robson, Barry, and O. K. Baek. The Engines of Hippocrates: From the Dawn of Medicine to Medical and Pharmaceutical Informatics. Malden: Wiley, 2009. Print.