Creating Too Many Patients?

[JBeukema]

H. Gilbert Welch writes in the LA Times that the threshold for diagnosis has fallen too low, with physicians making diagnoses in individuals who wouldn't have been considered sick in the past, raising healthcare costs for everyone. Part of the explanation is technological: diagnostic tests able to detect biochemical and anatomic abnormalities that were undetectable in the past. 'But part of the explanation is behavioral: We look harder for things to be wrong. We test more often, we are more likely to test people who have no symptoms, and we have changed the rules about what degree of abnormality constitutes disease (a fasting blood sugar of 130 was not considered to be diabetes before 1997; now it is).' Welch says the problem is that low thresholds have a way of leading to treatments that are worse than the disease. 'We are trained to focus on the few we might be able to help, even if it's only 1 out of 100 (the benefit of lowering cholesterol in those with normal cholesterol but elevated C-reactive protein) or 1 out of 1,000 (the benefit of breast and prostate cancer screening),' writes Welch. 'But it's time for everyone to start caring about what happens to the other 999.'"

-via slashdot

 

[Mad Scientist]

The government and insurance companies want to save money by not helping you but that would be seen as "unkind" and "putting profits before people" so what do they do? Plant stories in major newspapers saying that you can help everyone save money by not going to the Doctor.

I'm not falling for that shit.

 

[Greenbeard]

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Treatment-Trap-Overuse-Medical-Wrecking/dp/1566638429]The Treatment Trap[/ame].

 

[Mad Scientist]

The Treatment Trap.

No no no! You can't get away with that! You Liberals said that Gubmint run Health Care would be cheaper and now your admitting that it's more expensive and you're trying to soften us up for health care cuts by saying that we shouldn't be using it? Fuck that AND Fuck You!

Check out this obviously planted comment:
"Again Rosemary Gibson took an extremely controversial issue and put it out for the public to see. Being a mom of a child that died due to (medical) overuse I cannot say in words how important this book is for everyone to read."

What a load of crap!

I did find an article from a health professional who gives tips on how to turn your brain on when it comes to medical decisions:
Disruptive Women in Health Care » Rosemary Gibson

 

[Greenbeard]

You can't get away with that! You Liberals said that Gubmint run Health Care would be cheaper and now your admitting that it's more expensive and you're trying to soften us up for health care cuts by saying that we shouldn't be using it?

I don't recall there being a discussion of government-run health care at any point in the recent past. There remain very few examples of government-run health care in existence in the United States (the Veterans Health Administration and the Indian Health Service are the two that spring to mind). Can you point me to what you're referring to?

Fuck that AND Fuck You!

I fully support mental health parity. I would never try and dissuade you from getting the help you need.

Check out this obviously planted comment:
"Again Rosemary Gibson took an extremely controversial issue and put it out for the public to see. Being a mom of a child that died due to (medical) overuse I cannot say in words how important this book is for everyone to read.

Planted? Patty Skolnik's back-story and advocacy in the wake of her son's death is public knowledge.

I did find an article from a health professional who gives tips on how to turn your brain on when it comes to medical decisions:
Disruptive Women in Health Care » Rosemary Gibson

If you enjoy her posts, you might consider reading her book: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Treatment-Trap-Overuse-Medical-Wrecking/dp/1566638429/]The Treatment Trap[/ame].

 

[auditor0007]

Some people are so afraid of becoming sick that they will ask for test after test, even when they are obviously not necessary. On the opposite end, many people go without ever having a simple physical and some blood work every now and then to check the basics. And for those who believe something is wrong, you will find them taking ten different prescription drugs at one time. We need to find ways to address both of these problems.