New Survey Among Doctors Suggests Shift In Attitude Regarding Scientific Worth Of Animal Testing
This 2004 survey of 500 general practitioners sponsored by the patient advocacy group, Europeans for Medical Advancement, found a change in the attitudes of practicing physicians toward the traditional medical community’s reliance on and trust in animal testing. In total, 82% were concerned that animal data can be misleading when applied to humans, 51% would be more confident in human-based safety tests, and 83% would support an independent scientific evaluation of the clinical relevance of animal experimentation.
Of the general practitioners polled:
- 82% were concerned that animal data can be misleading when applied to humans.
- 51% would have more confidence in human-based safety tests for new drugs than in animal safety tests.
- 83% would support an independent scientific evaluation of the clinical relevance of animal experimentation.
These results differ dramatically from the 1989 American Medical Association survey of Physicians Attitudes Toward the Use of Animals in Biomedical Research, which found that 99% of U.S. physicians believe that animal research contributes to medical progress and 97% supported the continued use of animals for basic and clinical research.
Also in contrast is a 1996 survey of living Nobel Laureates in medicine who were unanimously supporting of animal research, in a study sponsored by Seriously Ill for Medical Research.