Have you experienced being requested to undergo a series of treatments and tests and wonder if they are really needed? It turns out, many of them are in fact not needed at all. Here are five treatments and tests that are not really needed, can harm the patients, and may even be too expensive.
According to health economist and clinical epidemiologist Associate Professor Adam Elshaug, "But often doing less is actually a better way of treating a person. We know now that many of the treatments that we thought were of high benefit actually don't offer any benefit to us and can in fact be harmful."
"We also know that some services are effective and appropriate for certain patients but of little or no value to others," added Elshaug from the Menzies Center for Health Policy at the University of Sydney.
Elshaug further told ABC Health and Well-being, "Once you've spent a dollar in one way it's unable to be used in other ways. We know this is a reality."
He even said that the money people spent on medical fees for low value health practices cannot be used for other treatments and laboratory tests that are really needed by the patients.
Thus, patient awareness and knowledge in the different tests and treatments will help in making sure all tests are indeed needed to reduce incurring huge medical expenses. Acquiring a health care plan is important as well.
Here are some treatments and tests mentioned:
1. Fatigue Examination, Investigation
If patients go to the clinic to complain of being too tired or fatigued, doctors often order a series of tests such as complete blood count, thyroid hormone markers, and liver biochemistry measurements. This is because GPs often link fatigue to serious underlying diseases immediately. In these situations, there may be a possibility that the test will have a 'false positive' result, making the patient more anxious about his condition. With the fast-paced life and stress people are experiencing, it is inevitable to feel fatigued and tired. However, if the condition persists, that is the time further testing is needed.
2. Radiology, X-rays and Scans For Back Pain
Low back pain is a common problem among people at some point in their lives. Some opt to have scans to see what is wrong with their backs. However, many studies show that these scans do no better than just waste your money. Aside from the fact that it is a waste of money, it exposes the person to radiation which might increase cancer risk. The best thing to do is to apply heat compress and stay active to fight low back pain.
3. Testing For Vitamin D
Studies show that many people are opting to have their Vitamin D levels checked, which is baffling because there is no clear justification of why this test is recommended to just any one. Clearly, those who are at higher risk for Vitamin D deficiency should be tested. The rate of Vitamin D testing has increased by 4,800 percent from 2003 and 2013 with no clear reason.
4. Medicines For Acid Reflux
For most doctors, if their patient complains of acid reflux or heart burn, they immediately prescribe proton pump inhibitors or PPI. However, for mild cases, they should check their lifestyle first and try to modify these factors first in order to see if these are triggering bouts of acid reflux disease. However, for more frequent and severe cases, that is the time PPIs should be given. For long-term use of PPIs, patients will be more prone to bone fractures and can deplete the magnesium levels in the body that may lead to muscle spasms, irregular heartbeats and convulsions.
5. Antibiotics
This is the most misused treatment across the globe. In recent years, there has been increased body of knowledge that antibiotics are not always needed to treat infections, but still they are used more than that is needed. In fact, the World Health Organization dubbed antibiotic resistance as one of the greatest threats to human health. For most cases, like flu or colds which are caused by viruses, it is known that it can go away on its own without any medications yet many patients still drink antibiotics that might predispose them to drug resistance. Today, antibiotics are not sold over the counter and you need a prescription before you can purchase them.