date: 5/16/2005M
Why it pays to prompt your doctor
Does your doctor really know best? A recent study shows he or she may not.
When you need to make important decisions about your health, you need information from experts who have your interests in mind--just the facts, no drug company advertising. ConsumerReportsHealth.org is your essential source for trusted, unbiased, independent health information, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Faced with major medical decisions, many people just let their doctor decide, relying on the comforting notion that "the doctor knows best." But that's not always true, even when science has provided clear guidance. Some doctors can't keep up with the flood of studies that pour off the presses. Others may brush off study results that conflict with their own training, experience, or preconceived ideas. Still others simply forget to provide the necessary care.
Elizabeth McGlynn, Ph.D., and colleagues at the nonprofit RAND Corporation analyzed the medical records of some 7,000 patients located in 12 metropolitan areas across the country to see how often their doctors provided care consistent with treatment guidelines for 30 common health problems. Overall, the results were distressing: Patients received barely half of the recommended interventions. And for some specific diseases and conditions the results were even worse, as shown in the table below:
Even in areas that, in general, doctors did relatively well in, such as the treatment of breast cancer or coronary heart disease, there were notable shortcomings. For example, 62 percent of chemotherapy patients weren't offered antinausea drugs; 55 percent of heart-attack patients failed to receive the right drug after their attack; 50 percent of women didn't undergo a biopsy within 6 weeks of a suspicious mammogram; and 50 percent of people with coronary heart disease failed to receive low-dose aspirin therapy, despite being good candidates.
To compensate for those shortcomings, you need to learn as much as you can about your health condition.
Elizabeth McGlynn, Ph.D., and colleagues at the nonprofit RAND Corporation analyzed the medical records of some 7,000 patients located in 12 metropolitan areas across the country to see how often their doctors provided care consistent with treatment guidelines for 30 common health problems. Overall, the results were distressing: Patients received barely half of the recommended interventions. And for some specific diseases and conditions the results were even worse, as shown in the table below:
| Condition | Percentage of recommended care received |
| Alcohol dependence | 11 |
| Hip fracture | 23 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 25 |
| Heartburn and ulcer | 33 |
| Sexually transmitted diseases | 37 |
| Pneumonia | 39 |
| Urinary tract infections | 41 |
| Headache | 45 |
| Diabetes | 45 |
| High cholesterol | 49 |
| Asthma | 54 |
| Colon cancer | 54 |
| Osteoarthritis | 57 |
| Depression | 58 |
| Stroke | 59 |
| Heart failure | 64 |
| Hypertension | 65 |
| Coronary heart disease | 68 |
| Low back pain | 69 |
| Prenatal care | 73 |
| Breast cancer | 76 |
| Cataract | 79 |
Even in areas that, in general, doctors did relatively well in, such as the treatment of breast cancer or coronary heart disease, there were notable shortcomings. For example, 62 percent of chemotherapy patients weren't offered antinausea drugs; 55 percent of heart-attack patients failed to receive the right drug after their attack; 50 percent of women didn't undergo a biopsy within 6 weeks of a suspicious mammogram; and 50 percent of people with coronary heart disease failed to receive low-dose aspirin therapy, despite being good candidates.
To compensate for those shortcomings, you need to learn as much as you can about your health condition.
This site is for your information only. For medical advice, consult a health professional.
