Doctors, why so many tests?!!!?!


Question:

Doctors, why so many tests?!!!?

I am a technologist working in a diagnostic imaging center, and I have noticed a significant increase in the number of seemingly unnecessary tests being ordered by doctors. Even the patients wonder why they're having these tests. They often wonder aloud if the doctors are just trying to make money. I am starting to wonder the same thing myself. I'm fairly certain that a healthy 40 year old doesn't need a carotid doppler ultrasound. I'm also sure that a 60 year old with CHF and pedal edema doesn't need a venous doppler of the leg to r/o DVT, especially when ordered by a podiatrist! Do you really need a CT scan of the sinuses, when a plain xray will do? Do you really need to order multiple imaging exam on a young, healthy person just because they're obese? I'd love to hear from any doctors out there as to what their rationale is for ordering so many unnecessary tests. Considering the fact that health care insurance is only getting MORE expensive, and this is one reason why.


Answers:

I am also a radiologic technologist, and I also get frustrated with all the seemingly unnecessary exams. I also believe it is due to lawsuits. Many doctors use the CYA (cover your a**) approach. I also notice that the younger doctors order more unnecessary exams. It is as if they are unsure of themselves. The older doctors are better at practicing medicine....they have been around long before MRI, CT, ultrasound etc. was around!

I don't think it has much to do with the doctors themselves making more money. A doctor who refers a patient for a CT or MRI at an imaging center does not make any money from it. The imaging center makes the money. And, as you know, an imaging center's radiologist cannot order an exam on a patient, as this is conflict of interest.

I get frustrated with the 90 year old women, who are in the last stages of lung or heart disease, and here they are for their screening mammogram! Or the patient who is dying of metastatic cancer who comes in for a DEXA scan. Or the morbidly obese patient who comes in for a knee MRI (hmmm, wonder why their knee hurts?!?!?). In these cases, these patients are not candidates for surgery or they are going to die in the near future (sad, but inevitable), so what does it matter if they have an early breast cancer or osteoporosis or a torn meniscus?




The consumer health information on answer-health.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007-2011 answer-health.com -   Terms of Use -   Contact us

Health Categories