In the field of medicine and health care, research continues to prove that when it comes to treatment – less is more. From a recent article in the NY Times:
More than 40 percent of 627 primary care doctors thought their own patients were overtreated; only 6 percent thought the patients received too little care, according to a survey published last week in Archives of Internal Medicine.
Why so many tests and referrals? Limited time to spend with patients, fear of being sued and financial incentives to do more were among the reasons cited by the physicians. Patients often worry about the cost of overtreatment but fail to recognize the potential harm of undergoing too many tests and procedures. Continue reading “How to Avoid Being Overtreated”