
Overdiagnosed
Making People Sick in Pursuit of Health
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Narrated by:
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Sean Runnette
Going against the conventional wisdom reinforced by the medical establishment and Big Pharma that more screening is the best preventative medicine, Dr. Gilbert Welch builds a compelling counterargument that what we need are fewer, not more, diagnoses. Documenting the excesses of American medical practice that labels far too many of us as sick, Welch examines the social, ethical, and economic ramifications of a health-care system that unnecessarily diagnoses and treats patients, most of whom will not benefit from treatment, might be harmed by it, and would arguably be better off without screening.
Drawing on 25 years of medical practice and research, Dr. H. Gilbert Welch and his colleagues, Dr. Lisa M. Schwartz and Dr. Steven Woloshin, have studied the effects of screenings and presumed preventative measures for disease and pre-disease. Examining the social, medical, and economic ramifications of a health care system that unnecessarily diagnoses and treats patients, Welch makes a reasoned call for change that would save us from countless unneeded surgeries, debilitating anxiety, and exorbitant costs.
©2011 Dr. H. Gilbert Welch (P)2012 HighBridge CompanyListeners also enjoyed...




















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This book brought out points that I had not considered, but make perfect sense. I think everyone should read it, but it won't change anything. Too many people are eager to sue.
I am a victim
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Although it has some deep information that are more relevant to doctors reading this helps to better understand the current estate of healthcare and when to agree on more testing.
The name was properly chosen
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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This gives us a great framework for understanding the stakes in accepting medical testing, approaching a diagnosis, and negotiating with the medical establishment as we attempt to forge a healthy life.This book is mandatory for anyone with a body
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This is not a polemic against the use of doctors; just a warning to be a sceptic and be cautious in hopping on board the testing bandwagon and being turned into a patient, just another profit center for physicians, health facilities, imaging centers and health insurance companies. Of course, testing, scanning and other modalities can helpfully put an at-risk patient, someone in danger of incurring future serious negative health outcomes, into the domain of "healthy", but it's important to apply the brakes to the current trend in speed-testing an otherwise asymptomatic and a healthy individual.
The author also cautions against making use of the current genetic profiling technology in order to apprise oneself of any hereditary genes gone wrong. In this situation, perhaps, and only perhaps, some good can be achieved by knowing of a high percentage of likelihood for a smattering of seriously debilitating diseases which would have life-altering consequences both in terms of treatment and in terms of the disease itself.
I'd only agree with this position if no treatment was available to fix the genetic glitch, or remedy for the statistical probability of negative outcome. So, now that you know, but what can you do about it? In the case of breast and ovarian cancers, however, the answer to this question is...plenty!!!
With the ever-increasing knowledge of specific deleterious genetic information, and the identification of the genes BRAC 1 & 2, it is now possible to divert and indeed eliminate the occurrence of breast and ovarian cancer. Recurrence is always a consideration, but that could happen with or without surgical intervention. With an 87% of getting breast cancer and a 50% chance of getting ovarian cancer, an otherwise healthy individual with these genetic glitches cannot afford to "watch and wait"...to get cancer, in many cases.
The preventative surgeries for these diseases are not without risk and consequence in quality of life, especially for women of child-bearing age but additional interventions such as breast reconstruction (provided by health insurance) and assisted fertility in the case of prophylactic oophorectomy, can help mitigate the effects - such as sudden early menopause, loss of fertility, negative body image - that are concomitant with these procedures. In other words, you can have re-engineered breasts and can continue to bear children with banked embryos.
This is just to say there are situations where screening is helpful and though monitoring is inconvenient, it beats getting cancer.
On most points the book's general thesis is spot-on, and counters the myth that over-diagnosis, especially considering litigation, is always better. But is it really? In terms of accomplishing nothing in many case but initiating further testing and surgeries and resultant anxiety is it always helpful??
Above all do no harm. Just depends on how "harm" is defined.
Agreed, Too Many Medical Interventions
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A must read for patients and physicians alike
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clear, impelling, life changing
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I have experienced over-diagnosis. It caused me emotional and mental stress (high) and financial stress (moderate) for an unnecessary surgery. The zeal for early diagnosis and treatment did not serve me well and I will think hard before going down that path again. This book was excellent to open my eyes to a different paradigm and gain more balance in how to approach my health. I really recommend it.Have you ever been over-diagnosed?
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A healthy view of cancer
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Great book, bad reader.
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Actually every person needs to read this if they have ever, or will ever, go to a doctor or have any type of medical procedure.
These mistakes are hidden under different labels, different names and different diagnosis….. but they happen everyday, in every town, at every hospital.
As someone in the health field it is one of my top 5 books about health- or in this case non-health, issues.
Excellent narration.
Every person who sees a doctor needs to read this
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