Study: More healthcare may not mean better healthcare
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
June 4, 2008
Patients with serious conditions who receive more tests and procedures and see additional specialists don't necessarily live longer or enjoy better quality of life than those who receive more conservative treatment, says Consumer Reports. This finding, from a study by the 2008 Dartmouth Atlas of Healthcare with research from the Dartmouth Medical School, took into account more than 4.7 million Medicare patients between 2001 and 2005.
The study says that although the idea is the more healthcare the better, too much healthcare may do more harm than good. Researchers report that patients are usually unaware of the dangers of unnecessary testing and see an excessive amount of specialists, which can often result in extremely high medical bills and no diagnosis.
To read the article, click here.
