Published 13 August 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b3304
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b3304

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Editor’s Choice

How to avoid unnecessary interventions

¹ BMJ

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Continuing our theme that less medicine is more (BMJ 2009;338:b2561, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2561), several articles in this week’s journal seek to help doctors cut rates of unnecessary intervention. Nick Francis and colleagues have evaluated a simple way to reduce reconsulting and prescribing of antibiotics in children with upper respiratory tract infection: an eight page, evidence based booklet used during the consultation and taken home afterwards (doi:10.1136/bmj.b2885). GPs were trained to use the booklet, and children with suspected pneumonia, asthma, or serious concomitant illness were excluded. Parents who received the booklet were less likely to feel the need to consult their GP again under similar circumstances but were equally satisfied with the care they had received.

Deciding who needs treatment or tests and who doesn’t is one of medicine’s great arts. Clinical judgment will always be needed, but clinical prediction rules can help. As part of our series . . . [Full text of this article]

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Raheman, F. (2009). If less is more, how much is zero?. BMJ 339: b3500-b3500 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

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If you fool me once; shame on you-If you fool me twice; shame on me

BM Hegde
bmj.com, 17 Aug 2009 [Full text]

What is unnecessary?

Benjamin Dean
bmj.com, 18 Aug 2009 [Full text]

Rx Zero: The threshold of unnecessary interventions?

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Nothing works..

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