Is Medical Overtreatment Overkill?

In the past, people that requested a high level of medical treatment were often referred to as hypochondriacs. The attitudes over the years have changed with the advent of additional medical testing and procedures for a variety of disorders and diseases. Today, patients have come to accept a battery of tests, but scientists and doctors are finding out that extensive testing may be leading both the patient and the medical industry down the wrong path.

Medical testing can involve blood tests, x-rays, bone marrow samples and an array so lengthy, that it couldn’t be listed in one article. Doctors are discovering that extensive testing may be causing patients more physical harm, lengthening the duration and quantity of pain for the patient and causing an increase in medical expenses.

Sources:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/27/overtreatment-is-taking-a-harmful-toll/?ref=health

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.