The databases also provide ipsative feedback about how patients are increasing their pros and/or decreasing the cons. Without such scientific assessments, patients and providers cannot accurately assess progress. It would be like asking patients to assess whether their choles- terol or hypertension is decreasing without adequate scientific assessments available. Normative and ipsa- tive feedback can help both patients and providers to see the benefits of their behavioral medicine, just as laboratory feedback can help them to see the benefits ofthe biological medicine thatis being applied