How many times have you had blood work, x-rays, or EKG’s done before a simple surgery? Have you had procedures, tests, or screenings suggested by your doctor or dentist, and wondered if they’re really necessary?

Turns out, unnecessary medical care is more common than thought! It can also be thought of as overuse of care. If you Google the words “unnecessary medical care” your search results will bring you many pages about the subject.

A study published in 2017 in PLOS One found that physicians reported more than 20% of overall medical care was not needed. When questioned, the most common reason was for fear of being sued for malpractice. This is known as defensive medicine.

I know most of us have been involved in this practice in some way, and I am no different. I’ve heard countless stories, from patients and peers! This overuse negatively impacts us emotionally, financially, and physically.  Not to mention driving up the overall costs of healthcare.

Advocating for Advocates

So how do you know what tests, procedures, or screenings are necessary? Do you seek treatment for something just for the sake of being “treated”?

There are some groups who are working toward eliminating, or at least, improving our needless healthcare. Choosing Wisely, The Do No Harm Project, and Costs of Care are some of these groups. They each have a slightly different approach. Ultimately, though, they are advocating for a conversation between healthcare provider and patient to eliminate overuse.

Choosing Wisely is an initiative from the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation. The Patient Resources tab on their website has some great information to get started.

This contributes to the healthcare “spiral” I mentioned in my first post. I believe that we all need to be advocates for our own healthcare. And this means educating ourselves as best as possible.

What are your thoughts? Have you had recommendations for screenings and such that you thought were questionable?

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