Dear Reader -
The link which follows is to an important and welcome article in the New York Times. Nine premier medical societies have joined forces and endorsed frugality in the ordering of forty-five commonplace tests, scans and medications.
For example, sinusitis is rarely improved with antibiotics and MRIs of the back are much overused.
Some of us, brought up in the more is better school, might want the targeted tests regardless, believing they are an unmitigated good, especially attractive for individuals with health insurance.
Misguided use of monies is a big concern, but an even bigger one is that inappropriate testing can lead to errors of thought and judgement which can cause significant harm.
What you will read in the article has been known by the majority of physicians. The issues have remained under the radar for a number of reasons, none more compelling than the staggering profitability of testing.
So here is the link Link NYT Article.
Your opinions and comments are hoped for.
A positive test value resulting in a diagnosis of a medical condition that would not have caused any sickness if it were not incidentally found, this is indeed an opening of Pandora's Box.
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