Doctors call for end to 45 common medical tests

msnbc.com ^ | 4/4/12 | msnbc.com news services

[ColdOne]

WASHINGTON — Old checklist for doctors: order that test, write that prescription. New checklist for doctors: first ask yourself if the patient really needs it.

Nine medical societies, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American College of Cardiology, representing nearly 375,000 physicians are challenging the widely held perception that more health care is better, releasing lists Wednesday of tests and treatments their members should no longer automatically order.

The 45 items listed include:

* Don't repeat colonoscopies within 10 years of a first such test * Don't perform early imaging for most back pain * Don't do brain scans for patients who fainted but didn't have seizures * Don't prescribe antibiotics for mild- to-moderate sinusitis unless symptoms last for seven or more days or worsen * Don’t perform stress cardiac imaging or advanced non-invasive imaging in the initial evaluation of patients without cardiac symptoms unless high-risk markers are present * Don't perform PAP smears on women younger than 21 or who have had a hysterectomy for a non-cancer disease * No advanced imaging or bone scans in patients with early-stage breast or low-grade prostate cancer * Don’t done bone scan screening for osteoporosis in women younger than 65 or men younger than 70 with no risk factors * Don't perform routine cancer screening on dialysis patients with limited life expectancies * No chemotherapy for sickest cancer patients

[wita]

Oh but I thought it was the Republicans who “want you to die” according to that nutcase Florida ex-congressman.

We are indeed fortunate that we no longer have to suffer the indignity of listening to the lying Florida ex-congressman.

[redgolum]

I was thinking for 7 day a week staffing. Which would be 2 or 3 nurses.

For instance, knowing what my sister in law makes as a new nurse, it is similar to what we pay people here (actually a little more but not a lot more). $200K for a day position, staffed by 2 or 3 people, is actually lower than what we pay. Benefits and insurance make up more than base pay.

[Osage Orange]

I get it........

It seemed to me the original poster..was saying one RN was making $200k a yr.

Of course pay varies...from region to region. But no RN I've ever run across is making $200k a yr. to place IV's..in a IR Dept.

And that was my point.

A staff of RN's...making $200k a yr. is understandable...

Thanks for the reply....

[Osage Orange]

with no risk factors

Did your Mom have any risk factors?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Aside from the fact she was female and postmenopausal? Not really. It was her dentist that told us that we should consider a bone scan as her jawbone did not, in his opinion, look healthy.

Glad we did it. She has had wonderful results.

[Osage Orange]

Aside from the fact she was female and postmenopausal?

That's not a generally thought of risk factor......

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

You are correct. Although you are statistically more likely to have osteoporosis if you fall into both of those categories they are not considered risk factors.

Glad her GP decided that it was worth running a test. Of course the dentist and the GP knew each other (small town) which probably helped.

[Osage Orange]

Glad your mom had some good smart folks looking after her........

FRegards,

[Nowhere Man]

Something I posted a while back, but bears repeating here:

I've posted this many times before but what if somebody is denied healthcare under Bammycare? People naturally have spouses, children, siblings, friends, parents, grandparents, etc. depending on the age of the one denied. I would hate to be a member of a death panel making such a decision to deny. I'd stay out of dark allies, look under my car before starting it, keep my eyes out for shadows, and jump at every noise I hear at night. Is that noise I hear at 2:30 AM the neighbor's cat or is it Grandpa Jones' grandson, which I denied care to his granddad, with a posse of his friends armed with baseball bats and a shotgun? How about blocking the road in front of me, an old lady in a 1967 Caddy. Did she break down or is she the wife of the man who I denied a hip replacement to, waiting for me where as I step out of my car to help, the last thing I hear is a .45 going off just before St. Peter appears. It's 10 PM, my kid is late in coming home and the phone rings. How about this, what if I denied care to a Tony Soprano?

I know under the insurance companies, there are cases of denial but in a lot of cases, you can get the doctor and hospital to get them to reverse their decision or just go ahead and let the family pay for it and/or go on a charity case. Not so with the government, if you are denied, there is very little redress at all. Ayn Rand put in in a long monologue where it boils down to this, "the more laws you create, the more criminals you make" and when you eliminate the process and route where one can make a challenge to make things right legally, that leaves only one other way, revenge and/or at least forced coercion via illegal means. This is a pandora's box to be sure, people will do anything for their loved ones and for survival.

I remember Quark's quote from DS9 (Star Trek) about us humans, "Let me tell you something about humans, nephew. They're a wonderful, friendly people as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature comforts, deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers, put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time and those same friendly, intelligent, wonderful people will become as nasty and as violent as the most blood-thirsty Klingon."

I don't feel comfortable in visioning this scenario, but if we keep going on the present track, it will happen.