Most of the time we don't know if a test is un...

2010-01-27T15:58:01.919-05:00

Most of the time we don't know if a test is unnecessary until after we order it. ALL doctors order unnecessary tests.

That's the problem. There is no way to know beforehand, and following guidelines based on "best evidence" leaves too many missed diagnoses.

Would you want me to not order a CT scan on your child if I think there is a 50% chance that they have appendicitis? how about a 60% chance? How about a 20% chance? How about doctors formulating that chance based on experience and "gut" and other labs? This is how doctors make decisions and our best guess is often wrong. Tests help us with our guessing. Medicine is an art. We practice it.

We all look different on the outside and the inside, we react differently to diseases and drugs. Tests help us make decisions, we don't know beforehand if they were unnecessary or not.

You would have to prevent most testing to prevent a reasonable amount of unnecessary testing. This is common sense.

Comments on legalsmeegal: Defensive Medicine---“The Devil Made Me Do It!”

Most of the time we don't know if a test is un...