When we feel sick and go to have a medical check-up, doctors would usually recommend medicals tests in order to know exactly why we are sick. As soon as the results are out, they determine whether we need just ordinary medicine or antibiotics. However an article in Israel Nation News said that some medical experts actually said that medical tests and antibiotics aren't always the best way to treat our illness.
Dr. Moriah Ellen, who works as a senior lecturer at Machon Lev in Jerusalem, said that most people are used to having more and we think its better. Like more memory for the new cell phone, or more tests and screenings as requested by the doctors.
However, she added that more medical tests and antibiotics aren't always the best way; it can in fact be harmful for us sometimes. She explained that for the last five years, many healthy systems all over the world tried to address this concern of unnecessary treatments and procedures. The reason behind this is because too much resource is being used up. She teamed up with two major universities, McMaster University and the University of Toronto and became an investigator and an assistant professor as well.
The overuse of health care services can result to serious harm and have a low quality of health care for the patient. For instance, it was observed that there is an overuse of tranquilizing drugs that has been documented among adults. Despite the studies showing the high risks connected to it if used for a long time, many are still recommending it. This is observed in the patients' perspective. However, on a physician level, as early as their medical school days, they are already taught to use every medical test that they can in order to be thorough and to get exact results regarding a patient's ailment.
But patients have the ability to make a change in the system and take more control of their own health. "Addressing the overuse of health services that provide no added benefit, may cause harm, or are low-value, can result in improvements in patient safety, appropriateness and quality of care, as well as and reduced waste in the health system," Ellen emphasized. "We need to think more in line with 'less is more'."
