A well written, thought provking and appropriate article. Thanks for sending it to me.
It takes real grit to say no to treatment and end the consultation with JUST counselling. In my practice (overseas) both patients and doctors are scared of no treatment, albeit for different reasons. For the patient even the lowest possible risk is NOT ACCEPTABLE: he would rather be treated (over treated) than not treated (counselled). The patient either forgets the counselling or selectively remembers the legally helpful part but he can never forget a hospital admission. Consequently both the lawyer and patient do not let the medical fraternity forget the consequences of not treating. No wonder the costs of patient care escalate, for who is willing to take further stress? (are increased working hours, pension cuts, replying to complaints not enough?). Maybe better safe than sorry is working and there lies the answer.
Rapid Response:
Re: Why do we overtreat hypertension?
A well written, thought provking and appropriate article. Thanks for sending it to me.
It takes real grit to say no to treatment and end the consultation with JUST counselling. In my practice (overseas) both patients and doctors are scared of no treatment, albeit for different reasons. For the patient even the lowest possible risk is NOT ACCEPTABLE: he would rather be treated (over treated) than not treated (counselled). The patient either forgets the counselling or selectively remembers the legally helpful part but he can never forget a hospital admission. Consequently both the lawyer and patient do not let the medical fraternity forget the consequences of not treating. No wonder the costs of patient care escalate, for who is willing to take further stress? (are increased working hours, pension cuts, replying to complaints not enough?). Maybe better safe than sorry is working and there lies the answer.
Competing interests: No competing interests