Suggests that the medical profession is heavily bent on aggressive diagnosis and treatment and argues that this zealous system of overtesting and overdiagnosing needs to change in order to save time, money, and pain.
The medical establishment in the United States claims that early detection and frequent health screenings lead to a longer more healthy life. While it is true, for a small percentage of patients, that early detection can be a life saver, says Welch (Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice), for a larger percentage it can actually be harmful. He makes a case against the current standard of excessive screenings arguing that our current health care system is an industry for profit above all else, and that the more sick people there are the more opportunities there are for profit. This capitalist approach to health care, he argues, has led to overtreatment of conditions and a general sense of paranoia which ultimately does more harm than good. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
