Common clinical scenarios could result in better outcomes if physicians and patients discuss the benefits and harms of screening and diagnostics tests that are often unnecessary or might cause harm, according to an opinion article published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, up to 30 percent of healthcare costs are spent on services that are duplicative or unnecessary and may not improve patients' health. The authors who contributed to this article include physicians from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Aurora and Tulane University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.
For the opinion piece, the authors reviewed medical literature and identified 37 common clinical situations relevant to internal medicine in which screening and diagnostic tests may provide little or no benefit to patients.
"We hope to promote thoughtful discussions among physicians, patients and other stakeholders about common clinical scenarios in which there are opportunities to improve the quality of care for the benefit of patients," said co-author Steven Weinberger, MD, executive vice president and CEO of the American College of Physicians. "Wasteful and duplicative practices that do not improve patient health — and might even cause harm — are unfortunately all too common and an important component of escalating, unsustainable healthcare costs."
According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, up to 30 percent of healthcare costs are spent on services that are duplicative or unnecessary and may not improve patients' health. The authors who contributed to this article include physicians from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Aurora and Tulane University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.
For the opinion piece, the authors reviewed medical literature and identified 37 common clinical situations relevant to internal medicine in which screening and diagnostic tests may provide little or no benefit to patients.
"We hope to promote thoughtful discussions among physicians, patients and other stakeholders about common clinical scenarios in which there are opportunities to improve the quality of care for the benefit of patients," said co-author Steven Weinberger, MD, executive vice president and CEO of the American College of Physicians. "Wasteful and duplicative practices that do not improve patient health — and might even cause harm — are unfortunately all too common and an important component of escalating, unsustainable healthcare costs."
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