Top cardiologists of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here have decided to start an initiative called the Society for Less Investigative Medicine (SLIM) — a movement that aims to take on the growing menace of excessive medical investigations, starting with cardiology.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/AIIMS-doctors-lead-the-way-wage-war-on-unnecessary-medical-tests/articleshow/37425725.cms
This is a step in the right direction, because it will help to reduce the epidemic of avoidable care we are seeing today.
However, both the Indian government and Indian health insurers are actually exacerbating the problem.
The government offers a tax rebate for " healthcare checkups" , thus incentivising citizens to go in for unnecessary medical testing , when they are well and asymptomatic These tests produce a lot of "false positives" and create a large number of "worried well" citizens, who then go running to their doctor for medical attention.
Similarly, health insurers, who are meant to protect the health of their customers, pay their customers to go for "health checkup" schemes. Instead of helping them to remain healthy , they actually push them into seeking unnecessary medical care !
Want to learn how to protect yourself ? You can read how to Prevent 'Testitis' at
http://www.thebestmedicalcare.com/ch30-prevent-testitis_1.htm
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/AIIMS-doctors-lead-the-way-wage-war-on-unnecessary-medical-tests/articleshow/37425725.cms
This is a step in the right direction, because it will help to reduce the epidemic of avoidable care we are seeing today.
However, both the Indian government and Indian health insurers are actually exacerbating the problem.
The government offers a tax rebate for " healthcare checkups" , thus incentivising citizens to go in for unnecessary medical testing , when they are well and asymptomatic These tests produce a lot of "false positives" and create a large number of "worried well" citizens, who then go running to their doctor for medical attention.
Similarly, health insurers, who are meant to protect the health of their customers, pay their customers to go for "health checkup" schemes. Instead of helping them to remain healthy , they actually push them into seeking unnecessary medical care !
Want to learn how to protect yourself ? You can read how to Prevent 'Testitis' at
http://www.thebestmedicalcare.com/ch30-prevent-testitis_1.htm
Sir,
ReplyDeleteThe American Healthcare has started a similar intiative. They alreday published la list of donts by the respective associations. The society is called as Choosing Wisely. Visit it.
Raju Parekh
Supratech Micropath Laboratory