The South African Civil Society Information Service

Are We Over-Medicalized?

9 Jul 2012

Everyday thousands of people are diagnosed with pre-conditions. We hear about pre-hypertension, pre-diabetes, pre-cancer and many more. In this engaging talk, Reuters health editor, Ivan Oransky warns that we are suffering from preposterous pre-conditions diagnosed within a system that thrives on over-medicalizing treatments.

Most doctors are in a fee-for-service system. They are basically incentivized to do more tests, perform more procedures and prescribe medication. Pharmaceutical companies are also trying to expand the number of people that are eligible for a treatment because it helps their bottom lines.

Does the average person stand a chance of being diagnosed fairly within a system that thrives on the sick?

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You can find this page online at http://sacsis.org.za/site/article/1358.